Georgia
Georgia Tech facing backlash over policy banning DEI programs
Georgia Tech removes DEI terms, programs
A new directive to delete any mention of words like “diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion,” from Georgia Tech’s websites caught the attention of the Georgia NAACP.
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech is ending programs and eliminating websites that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), a spokesperson confirmed to FOX 5.
The decision has drawn criticism from the Georgia NAACP, which is calling for a meeting with school officials.
DEI removal: Georgia Tech community responds
What they’re saying:
“It’s just disappointing. Especially because I was someone who definitely benefited from it,” said one Georgia Tech student of Hispanic heritage, who didn’t wish to be identified by name. “People should be qualified, but it also helps, coming from a more difficult background, to have a little leg up. Especially, getting into colleges like Georgia Tech.”
Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs expressed deep concern over the changes.
“We received notice from our local unit there on the college, and definitely wanted to have some questions answered,” Griggs said.
Georgia Tech removes DEI terms, programs
What we know:
Georgia Tech has confirmed it is in the process of eliminating its DEI programs, which has been an effort that has been ongoing since 2023. It did not confirm the veracity of the memo the Georgia NAACP posted, but did confirm its mandates.
Blair Meeks, a spokesperson for Georgia Tech, emailed the following statement:
“In 2023, Georgia Tech made the decision to begin discontinuing DEI programs, which included eliminating positions and realigning funding. As a critical research partner for the federal government, Georgia Tech will ensure compliance with all federal and state rules as well as policies set by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia to continue accelerating American innovation and competitiveness. Efforts to examine and update our web presence are part of this ongoing work.”
The backstory:
The decision follows a broader national trend of restrictions on DEI initiatives. President Donald Trump has ordered that federal funding be eliminated to any program that supports DEI.
Last week, the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was ordered to delete content related to “gender ideology.”
Georgia Tech’s recent decision appears to be part of a broader effort to align with evolving policies on DEI initiatives.
Pastor Jamal Bryant calls for 40-day ‘fast’ from Target over end to DEI policy
Griggs, the Georgia NAACP president, is concerned about the trend, and worries progress will be lost.
“It is an attempt to erase people’s identities and attempt to go back to a far-gone era,” he said. “We’re not going to allow it.”
What’s next:
Griggs has requested a formal meeting with Georgia Tech leadership to discuss the policy change and its implications.
“If it’s just happening on the website, we can only imagine what’s happening internally,” he said. “So we need to have a robust conversation.”
Students remain uncertain about the impact of the changes.
“Removing them from the websites may not actually amount to much,” another student who spoke to FOX 5 said. “But the question is what will come with that?”
The Source: This article is based on original reporting by FOX 5’s Rob DiRienzo on Georgia Tech’s campus in Atlanta. Information was provided by a Georgia Tech spokesperson and the NAACP of Georgia.
Georgia
Nathan Wade’s testimony to Georgia Senate subcommittee investigating Fani Willis delayed
Former Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade’s expected testimony in front of a special Senate subcommittee has been delayed until an undetermined date.
Wade has been ordered to appear before the special committee investigating Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, his former boss and romantic partner, on Friday. However, when the committee began Friday’s meeting by noting that the attorney would not be appearing at this time.
The special committee was created in January 2024 to examine allegations of misconduct tied to Willis’ prosecution of President Trump and 18 others accused of trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. A central focus of the inquiry has been Willis’ decision to hire Wade as a special prosecutor and whether their romantic relationship created a conflict of interest or led to improper use of public funds.
In December 2025, Willis testified before the Senate committee after more than a year of legal wrangling over whether lawmakers had the authority to compel her appearance. During that testimony, she forcefully denied wrongdoing and defended Wade’s role in the case, saying she hired him because her office was overwhelmed and needed experienced leadership.
“You all want to intimidate people from doing the right thing, and you think that you’re going to intimidate me,” Willis told the committee. “You all have been trying to intimidate me for five years.”
Wade has previously testified under oath in another proceeding about his and Willis’ relationship, but lawmakers said they believed there were discrepancies between those statements and Willis’ account.
Legal battles and scheduling conflicts
The committee, led by Republican state Sen. Greg Dolezal, issued a subpoena for Wade to testify on Feb. 2. They then hired a process server to serve the subpoena to Wade on Feb. 10.
Dolezal said they received a message from Wade’s attorney on Thursday saying that he was not able to appear before the senators the next day, but that he could voluntarily appear on March 13.
“That’s around day 31 of the Senate session, so that’s not a date that’s acceptable to the committee,” Dolezal said.
The committee is now working to find and earlier alternative date for the testimony.
Wade’s attorney requested limitations on the time and scope of his testimony, which Dolezal said they will try to negotiate.
The subpoena of Wade and Jeff DeSantis, the spokesperson for Willis’ office, are the latest in a series of legal battles between the Fulton County district attorney and the Senate panel.
Willis previously ignored an earlier subpoena, arguing through her attorneys that the committee lacked constitutional authority to force her to testify. That dispute is still moving through the courts.
So far, the committee has turned up few new facts regarding Willis’ activities in connection with her case against Mr. Trump.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Georgia
Georgia Senate Bill 34: Data centers to pay fair share
Georgia is currently facing a massive surge in data center development, with companies rushing to build storage space for the artificial intelligence race. To protect residents from the staggering energy demands of these “massive warehouses,” Senator Chuck Hufstetler introduced Senate Bill 34, which aims to ensure that data centers pay their “fair share” for infrastructure.
Georgia
Former Georgia employee, 5 others indicted for rental fraud during COVID
ATLANTA – Six people, including a former state employee, have been indicted in Fulton County in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Georgia’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program out of nearly $230,000, Attorney General Chris Carr announced.
What we know:
Prosecutors allege the defendants targeted the Georgia Department of Community Affairs’ federally funded rental relief program, which was created to help families and landlords struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among those charged is Porsha Robinson, 37, of Jonesboro, a former DCA employee. While working for the agency from 2021 to 2022, Robinson is accused of submitting and approving nine fraudulent rental assistance applications and directing the funds into bank accounts she controlled.
Investigators allege that five of those applications were submitted in the names of her co-defendants, who then provided Robinson with substantial kickbacks. The remaining applications were allegedly filed using the names of other citizens.
The indictment was returned Jan. 30, 2026, after Carr’s White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit presented evidence to a Fulton County grand jury.
Robinson faces one count of identity fraud and nine counts of false statements and writings.
The co-defendants — Daveon Williams, 28, of Atlanta; Sean Wimbush, 32, of Atlanta; Dashon Holloman, 31, of Dallas; Miranda Payne, 36, of Atlanta; and Davier Ladmirault, 26, of Atlanta — are each charged with one count of false statements and writings.
Dig deeper:
The Fulton County indictment comes as state and federal authorities continue cracking down on alleged pandemic-related fraud across Georgia.
In a separate matter, Rep. Dexter L. Sharper, a Democrat representing District 177, has been charged federally with making false statements to obtain unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is the third Democratic state lawmaker accused in recent months of improperly receiving pandemic-related funds.
Georgia lawmaker Dexter Sharper charged in pandemic unemployment fraud case
In December, Rep. Sharon Henderson was charged with theft of government funds and making false statements. Gov. Brian Kemp suspended her from office last month. Former Rep. Karen Bennett resigned before being charged and later pleaded guilty to making false statements.
RELATED STORIES
Additionally, a former senior Atlanta Housing executive Tracy Denise Jones recently pleaded guilty to three federal fraud counts for misuse of housing assistance and pandemic relief funds. She is scheduled to be sentenced in May.
Other cases include a Hampton woman named Attallah Williams who allegedly used her roles at the Small Business Administration and IRS to bypass security checks and approve $3.5 million in fraudulent COVID-19 relief and an Atlanta man named Ian Patrick Jackson who was arrested in May for orchestrating schemes to fraudulently obtain over $3 million in pandemic relief funds.
What’s next:
An indictment contains allegations only. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
-
Politics1 week agoWhite House says murder rate plummeted to lowest level since 1900 under Trump administration
-
Alabama6 days agoGeneva’s Kiera Howell, 16, auditions for ‘American Idol’ season 24
-
San Francisco, CA1 week agoExclusive | Super Bowl 2026: Guide to the hottest events, concerts and parties happening in San Francisco
-
Ohio1 week agoOhio town launching treasure hunt for $10K worth of gold, jewelry
-
Culture1 week agoAnnotating the Judge’s Decision in the Case of Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-Year-Old Detained by ICE
-
Culture1 week agoIs Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ Actually the Greatest Love Story of All Time?
-
News1 week agoThe Long Goodbye: A California Couple Self-Deports to Mexico
-
Politics1 week agoTrump admin sued by New York, New Jersey over Hudson River tunnel funding freeze: ‘See you in court’