The University of Tennessee has deleted from its website a gender-neutral pronoun list that called on the campus community to use terms such as “ze, xe, xem, xyr, zirs and hirs,” prompting nationwide controversy, ridicule, and concern.
The decision was made by campus leaders, with UT system President Joe DiPietro saying in a letter to the Board of Trustees that he was “deeply concerned about the attention this matter continues to receive and the harm it has had on the reputation of the University of Tennessee,” The Tennessean reports.
“DiPietro added that, moving forward, UT-Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy Cheek will not allow any of the school’s vice chancellors to ‘publish any campus-wide practice or policy’ without Cheek’s approval,” The Tennessean added. “The shift comes after officials at UT spent a week defending the post, which encouraged professors and students to use gender-neutral pronouns. Officials released several statements saying the post, written by the director of UT’s Pride Center, was intended as a campus resource, not mandatory policy.”
DiPietro’s decision also comes as state lawmakers prepare to hold oversight hearings on UT. Legislators also sent the board of trustees a letter demanding that they prioritize educating students over indoctrinating them.
Read more at The College Fix.
