Missouri executive order bans DEI programs and diversity statements across all state agencies and public universities

Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed an executive order prohibiting state agencies, public universities, and state contractors from maintaining DEI programs, requiring diversity statements in hiring, or providing DEI training. The order also directed the University of Missouri system and Missouri State University to conduct audits of existing programs. Missouri's executive order was one of several mid-2020s state-level actions that used gubernatorial authority rather than legislative enactment to implement anti-DEI policies, bypassing the normal legislative process. University administrators immediately began reviewing existing programs, and several DEI-related staff positions were eliminated before the order's compliance deadline.