(The Center Square) – A Wisconsin lawmaker is crediting a state investigation into the cost of diversity, equity and inclusion programs to state taxpayers for the demotion of an official at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
UW-Madison Chief Diversity Officer LaVar Charleston was moved from that position back to being a clinical professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in the School of Education due to “areas of concern about financial operations and fiscal judgments in the division,” according to the school.
The demotion came during an internal review of the department’s finances, which Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Oconto, said if from the Legislative Audit Bureau’s investigation into DEI policies and practices within state agencies.
Wimberger is the head of the Legislative Audit Committee, which ordered the full audit last April, looking to see the financial taxpayer impact of the diversity initiatives that came with complying with Gov. Tony Evers’ Executive Order 59.
“This revelation highlights exactly why I, and legislative Republicans, voted to audit DEI government-wide,” Wimberger said. “Not only is DEI harmful as it reinforces negative stereotypes by design, it’s also a slush fund of waste for grifters to profit off government funding.”
The full audit report is expected to be released in the coming weeks, Wimberger said.
