Sen. Scott Fuller, R-Wayne, spoke on the Senate floor on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in support of a bill that would eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in state government and schools. He argued that such initiatives are no longer necessary.
The West Virginia Senate approved the bill, which, if enacted, would prohibit all DEI-related policies and programs in state agencies and educational institutions.
Senate Bill 474 passed with a 32-2 vote, with Sens. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, and Joey Garcia, D-Marion, casting the only opposing votes. The bill now moves to the House for further consideration.
The legislation aligns with Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s priorities and follows an executive order he issued earlier in the year to accomplish the same goal. It is part of a broader national effort by Republicans to end DEI initiatives.
On the Senate floor, supporters of the bill argued that DEI policies create an unfair advantage by prioritizing services for certain groups, often marginalized communities, over others.
Sen. Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson, claimed that the bill seeks to “end discrimination” by ensuring that decisions are not influenced by race, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.
Sen. Scott Fuller expressed gratitude that West Virginia was moving away from DEI policies, stating that such initiatives were no longer necessary.
“I don’t know where this idea came from—that we are a racist country or that we don’t provide equality to women or different religions,” Fuller said. “Does [racism] exist? I’m sure it does. This is not a perfect world, we don’t live in a perfect society, but is it a problem? I really don’t believe it.”
However, disparities based on race, gender, and identity persist both in West Virginia and across the United States.
Nationally, women earn approximately 85 cents for every dollar earned by men for the same work, according to the Pew Research Center. In West Virginia, the gender pay gap is even wider, with women earning about 74 cents per dollar compared to men, and Black women facing an even larger disparity, according to research from West Virginia University.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Black workers nationwide earn only 76 cents for every dollar earned by white workers, with wage disparities emerging as early as age 16.
In West Virginia, Black residents account for less than 4% of the state’s population but make up more than 13% of the incarcerated population, according to the Prison Policy Institute. Studies show that Black individuals are more likely to be arrested and receive harsher sentences than white individuals for similar crimes.
In the state’s schools, Black students are suspended at twice the rate of white students, despite making up less than 5% of the student population.
Fuller described the passage of SB 474 as a milestone, stating, “I look at this as a day that we can actually end DEI because we don’t need it anymore.”
Under the proposed law, DEI policies and programs would be eliminated in state and local government, public schools, and higher education institutions. Following the governor’s executive order, colleges and universities in West Virginia have already begun dismantling services that support students from diverse backgrounds.
If enacted, SB 474 would prevent state agencies from operating DEI-focused offices or divisions and require existing ones to close. It would also ban hiring preferences based on diversity metrics and prohibit mandatory DEI training for employees.
Additionally, the bill would limit discussions on race and gender in classrooms, prohibiting lessons that suggest any race, ethnicity, or sex is morally superior to another. Schools would also be barred from requiring staff to use a student’s preferred pronouns if they do not align with the child’s biological sex.
Del. Tom Willis, R-Berkeley, praised the bill’s passage as a victory for “freedom from tyranny in the classroom.” He claimed that “woke teachers” are responsible for this “tyranny” and encouraged people to report educators who do not comply with the bill.
Sen. Joey Garcia, one of the two Democrats in the Senate, warned against dismantling DEI programs, arguing that they help ensure equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their background.
“I do not think that racism is over. I do not think that sexism is a thing of the past,” Garcia said. “These are issues we need to continuously address, and there is still work to do. I think this bill takes us a step backward.”
