AUSTIN, Texas — The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) published an open letter to the University of Texas at Austin’s President, Jay Hartzell.

The group’s demand in the letter is for the immediate reinstatement of employees who were laid off earlier this week.

The letter states that “terminating staff for their previous lawful association with DEI initiatives is discriminatory and infringes on their freedom of expression. These employees all pivoted to non-DEI activities on Jan. 1 at your direction, so the terminations are not based on their job performance or behavior since that date but rather, their involvement in the very DEI activities that they were previously hired to lawfully carry out.”

The faculty and staff at the university addressed that they expect due process when decisions affecting their livelihood and work conditions are made by the school administration.

AAUP emphasized the importance of providing terminated staff with an explanation for their termination and a means to address any concerns.

In a message to the school community on Tuesday, Hartzell revealed plans to eliminate the Division of Campus and Community Engagement as part of an effort to simplify student programs. No mention of layoffs was made in the email.

SB17 has caused worry among education experts who suggest that some universities in Texas are overreacting and fear the implications for maintaining a diverse student and faculty population.