A newly elected Republican governor has kept his promise rather quickly, signing executive orders to end all state-funded “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI) initiatives on his first day in office, while also expanding vaccine exemptions for schools.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) — who won his election in November by a staggering 62% compared to Democrat Steve Williams’ 31.6% — signed a series of executive orders on his first day in office, one of which orders the termination of all DEI programs in state-funded institutions.
"NO MORE DEI": Gov. Morrisey (@MorriseyWV) said in his Inaugural Address that he plans to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within the state's education system.
Full story: https://t.co/WUmEGcFCU8 pic.twitter.com/mXRAumnpDV
— Charleston Gazette-Mail (@wvgazettemail) January 13, 2025
Morrisey argued that this executive order will protect West Virginia residents from being discriminated against based on their race or gender, as well as from “inappropriate” preferential treatment based on immutable characteristics.
The newly elected Republican governor spoke about the executive orders during a press briefing at the state capitol, where he argued that “the public deserves nothing less.”
Morrisey also noted that the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling against so-called “affirmative action” — a decision that deemed race-based college admissions practices to be constitutional — played a role in his decision.
His executive orders directed agency leaders to review all DEI-related practices within their departments, with Morrisey stating: “Before I start calling everyone out, I want to see the changes put in place.”
BREAKING: West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey has banned DEI by executive order:
-No funding for DEI staff or activities
-No mandatory trainings
-No loyalty oaths or ideological litmus tests
-No DEI statements in hiring
-No requirements to disclose pronouns pic.twitter.com/pD5FL8Q7d9
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) January 15, 2025
Morrisey also signed another executive order that expands exemptions to school vaccination policies. According to The Post Millennial, “Under West Virginia law, children must be vaccinated for chickenpox, hepatitis-b, measles, meningitis, mumps, diphtheria, polio, rubella, tetanus, and whooping cough before they can attend school.”
The Republican governor has demanded religious exemptions for these vaccination requirements, which would align with the 2023 Equal Protection for Religion Act — a law that prohibits the government from placing a “substantially burden” on an individual’s freedom of religion unless the government can demonstrate a “compelling interest” to restrict it. Morrisey has asserted that this law has never been “fully and properly enforced” since it was enacted.
Morrisey further noted that these vaccine exemptions will probably require parents to explain their religious beliefs in a letter to the West Virginia Bureau of Public Health. He also stated that he plans to work with West Virginia’s legislature to make sure that the state’s vaccine requirements specifically allow religious exemptions.
