The precarities of teaching “race, gender, and class issues in education” in a state that limits DEI initiatives

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to share how two professors of graduate programs taught a required course on race, gender and class issues in education while also navigating recently enacted state laws limiting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at state universities. Design/methodology/approach Data collection included duo-ethnographic journal entries and publicly available documents and recordings that detail faculty struggles navigating serious political challenges. Findings Findings indicate a troubling lack of alignment between professional standards, the language of the new state law and some universities’ demands upon faculty. Social implications Although courses that center multicultural and ethnic studies themes are crucial to a robust education across the educational pipeline, the juxtaposition of anti-DEI sentiments in higher education, with the pressing need to address biased educational practices in primary and secondary schools, magnifies risk and diminishes the authors’ dexterity to fulfill both the professional standards and their ethical responsibilities to the students they serve and the profession as a whole. Originality/value The authors add to the research on the critical content and andragogy of teacher and leadership preparation programs as they aim to bridge the theory-to-practice gaps between elementary, secondary and tertiary organizations.