The threat came after conservative activist Christopher Rufo shared a university email inviting some staffers and PhD students to attend a conference that limited participation to people who are Black, Hispanic or Native American.

This is not DEI. This is overt racism.

Welsh said administrators had followed the proper process for reviewing and approving attendance at such events, but wrote “I don’t believe we fully considered the spirit of our state law in making the initial decision to participate.”

“We didn’t realize the racist law that forbids any sort of assistance for victims of systemic racism was that racist. Our bad.” - President Gutless