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.
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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 baseball will resume its NCAA Athens Regional game with Long Island at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 29, after persistent rain—heavy at times—forced the suspension of the game.
The Bulldogs have a commanding 15-1 lead with nobody out in the bottom of the sixth.
The teams and some fans waited out a delay that started 7:14 p.m.
The game was suspended officially at 9:06 p.m. Long Island players were already grabbing their equipment in the dugout to depart for the team hotel before then.
The winner of Georgia-LIU will play No. 3 seed Liberty Saturday in the double-elimination tournament in a game scheduled for 5 p.m.
The loser will play No. 2 seed Boston College at noon.
The No. 3 national seed Bulldogs hit six homers before the game was delayed due to heavy rain.
There was a 53 percent chance of rain at 9 a.m. Saturday, according to weather.com, decreasing to 17 percent at 11 a.m., but there’s a threat of storms in the afternoon.
The Georgia Public Service Commission this week approved a plan expected to reduce utility bills for Georgia Power customers by a few dollars a month.
The commission said the change will generate about $285 million in total annual savings for Georgia Power customers, or roughly $50 per year — about $4.04 per month — for the average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month.
The Georgia PSC voted Thursday to lower overall rates as part of the approved plan.
Georgia Power Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Tyler Cook said the decision will provide “real savings for Georgia families and businesses as the heat of summer begins and energy use increases.”
“At Georgia Power, our teams work every day to run our business efficiently and keep reliable and affordable energy flowing to our customers,” Cook said.
Cook said the outcome followed months of work between Georgia Power and PSC staff, including reviews, public hearings and input from residents and intervenors.
The approved plan is tied to a stipulated agreement reached earlier this month involving two cases filed with the PSC in February, the Fuel Cost Recovery case and the Storm Cost Recovery case. Those cases addressed recovering fuel costs used to generate electricity and expenses tied to restoring power after storms.
Georgia Power said its rates remain, on average, about 15% below the national average and that it is still on track to provide additional annual savings of about $102 per year for typical residential customers beginning in 2029.
ATLANTA – The Georgia Public Service Commission approved a stipulated agreement on Thursday to lower utility rates for Georgia Power customers starting June 1.
The regulatory body voted to pass the deal without changes, establishing how the utility can bill for fuel costs and storm damage restoration expenses.
State regulators approve rate cuts
What we know:
The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) voted 3-2 to reject several utility cost amendments before ultimately passing the overall deal. Under the approved agreement, a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month will see monthly bills decrease by roughly $4.03 to $4.04. Total annual savings across all 2.8 million Georgia Power customers are projected to reach approximately $285 million.
The deal reduces how much money the utility can recover from its customer base for storm expenses by nearly 60%, dropping the revenue requirement from $270 million down to $109 million. The agreement also extends the amortization of storm recovery costs, largely tied to Hurricane Helene in 2024, to 67 months, caps natural gas advance purchases at 20% over a 36-month window, and cuts $13 million from the company’s original fuel recovery estimates.
Accountability questions remain unresolved
What we don’t know:
While the PSC agreed to launch a separate investigation into how fuel costs are allocated, officials have not yet confirmed how much large industrial operations will be forced to pay in future rate cases. Consumer advocacy groups argue that massive data center companies are driving up fuel costs for everyday ratepayers without paying for the infrastructure upgrades they require. Critics note that it remains unclear if a future utility asset structure will successfully shift financial burdens away from residential homes.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official press releases issued by the Georgia Public Service Commission and Georgia Power, as well as previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting.
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