The faculty of the Department of Romance Studies at Chapel Hill affirms and recognizes the University’s Policy Statement on Non-Discrimination (as revised October 2, 2015) as in full force and effect, and urges the North Carolina General Assembly and the Governor of North Carolina to repeal N.C. Sess. Laws 2016-3.
UNC-Chapel Hill is a world-class research university that serves the people of the State of North Carolina by attracting and retaining the very best faculty, staff, and students from around the state, the country, and the world. The provisions of the recently passed House Bill 2 (HB2) purport to “supersede and preempt any ordinance, regulation, resolution, or policy” (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-422.2 as amended by Sess. Laws 2016-3) concerning discrimination in employment and contracting that exists in a unit of local government or political subdivision of the State, and therefore are inconsistent with UNC-CH’s current non-discrimination policy, which is “not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.” Nullification of non-discrimination policies in municipalities surrounding UNC-CH would make our mission and interests impossible. Therefore, repeal of HB2 is the only possible course of action if the State of North Carolina will continue to maintain its world-class university. The text of the current policy on non-discrimination is posted at http://policies.unc.edu/policies/nondiscrim/