West Liberty University removes DEI links from website
School administrators confirmed the removal of DEI-related content is an effort to conform to Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s executive orders.
WEST LIBERTY – West Liberty University has quietly removed web pages related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, efforts. The subdomains for the Diversity Committee and DEI information page now redirect to the university’s homepage.

The university’s Department of Marketing and Communications confirmed that West Liberty University removed DEI sites “to comply with Gov. Morrisey’s directives” and in anticipation of an “upcoming website redesign.”
On his second day in office, Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed an executive order banning funding for DEI programs at state agencies or entities that receive state funding. “We want to have a review of recruiting, of retention, of programs, of policy, or any issue which might express an inappropriate preference for race, for sex, for national origins,” Morrisey said of the order.
President Donald Trump signed a similar executive order targeting DEI policies and has blamed them for, among other things, a devastating plane crash that killed 67 people Jan. 29.
West Liberty University said it will take their organization time to “determine the full scope of the Executive Order.” In a statement provided to Wheeling Free Press, the university says it will communicate with University stakeholders if changes to policies, practices, or procedures are needed. Still, staff believe they are in compliance.
“We believe that we are in compliance with the DEI order since we do not have programs that provide preferential treatment for specific populations,” the statement reads. “Specifically, we do not use preferential treatment standards in hiring or admissions decisions, and we do not mandate training or education that encourages the granting of such preferences.”
The university previously employed a “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer,” but that position has been vacant since 2023. As well, the university had an Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, but it is unclear how it will be affected.
This comes as other West Virginia colleges and universities have made similar changes.
West Virginia University announced Thursday that it would close its Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and formed the Division of Campus Engagement and Compliance to take its place. “This is not a rebranding, but a shift in focus that will align with the Governor’s directive,” the release to students said.
Marshall University has stated it is reviewing its own DEI policies, too. “Marshall government relations and legal teams are reviewing the executive orders to ensure compliance,” said Leah Payne and reported by West Virginia Watch. The Parthenon reports that DEI web pages have been taken down as of Jan. 24.
The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia, or ACLU-WV, has called on Morrisey to rescind the executive order. “Executive Order No. 3-25 is so broadly written that it could infringe on the free speech rights of college educators and others,” ACLU-WV said in a Jan. 20 statement. “If the governor’s office does not act quickly to correct the order, it will risk costly litigation against the state.”
National free speech organization Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, said in a Jan. 15 statement that the order “violates the First and Amendment and must be rescinded or amended to make clear that it does not affect what’s discussed in college classrooms.”