DALLAS — The University of Texas at Dallas will lay off 20 employees and close a campus resource office to comply with the statewide ban on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Terminations will be effective on April 30, according to a letter UT Dallas president Richard Benson issued on Tuesday.

“I know that this decision will not be welcomed by many in our campus community. I remain committed to ensuring that UT Dallas is a supportive community focused on developing the knowledge, the research and the people that are vital to our future. Thank you all for your ongoing work and commitment to these goals,” Benson said.

The decision comes a week after University of Texas in Austin President Jay Hartzell announced mass layoffs of about 60 employees and the closure of DEI-related offices by May 31 to comply with the ban — also known as SB 17.

Many universities changed the names of DEI offices and job titles in the wake of the ban, which went into effect on Jan. 1.

On Friday, the American Association of University Professors published an open letter to Hartzell demanding the immediate reinstatement of UT employees who were laid off last week. They said that terminating staff because of their association with DEI initiatives is discriminatory since they were hired for the positions and held them before the ban went into effect.

In late March, Sen. Brandon Creighton, the author of the bill, sent a letter to university leaders across the state, warning that changing the name of DEI offices wouldn’t comply with the ban and state funding could be frozen if changes were not made.

According to Benson, UT Dallas employees have been notified of the layoffs. They're being supported by human resources officials and can apply for open positions at the university.

Student employees will keep their jobs until the end of the semester.