Merry Christmas, Chancellor; Niceley, Faison & Farmer Weigh In

Chancellor Cheek, the chief decision maker for the University of Tennessee’s Knoxville Campus, is back in the spotlight again for his Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s recent post regarding UTK’s holiday parties and celebrations. Just a few short months ago the university was in the news for another post from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion encouraging the switch from traditional pronouns such as he and she to gender neutral pronouns, such as ze and xe. Neither the suggested pronoun shift nor the most recent drive to remove any religious or cultural implications from upcoming holiday parties and celebrations has found favor with the state’s high legislative bodies.

While the Office of Diversity and Inclusion acknowledged that the University of Tennessee has no formal policy on holiday parties and celebrations, it suggested that they should include “no emphasis on religion or culture,” and to “Ensure that your holiday party is not a Christmas party in disguise.” Further it suggested that decor and food should not be perceived to have any specific religious or cultural leaning and even Secret Santa gift exchanges should be renamed Practical Joke or Secret Gift Exchange. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion offered a New Year’s party as an acceptable alternative and reminded those sending cards that they too should be devoid of religious or cultural significance.

For some legislators, the proposed pronoun shift, coupled with the most recent holiday posting, is enough to question Chancellor Cheek’s leadership at the state’s flagship university. Chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, Dolores Gresham, and Chairman of the Senate Government Operations Committee, Mike Bell, have come out strong, stating a lack of confidence in Cheek’s ability to helm UTK. They are not alone in their concern. Senator Frank Niceley of the 8th Senate District, which includes Jefferson County, as well as Jefferson County’s Representatives in the State House, Jeremy Faison, District 11, and Andrew Farmer, District 17, are also concerned about Chancellor Cheek’s control over the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Senator Niceley stated, “I am afraid that he has lost the ability to lead the university. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion receives $5.5 million dollars that would be better spent elsewhere. When the situation about the change in pronouns was brought before the Senate Education Committee, we thought that there was an understanding and that we would not be looking at a similar situation. I celebrate Christmas, as do the majority of people in my District. I also believe that everyone should be able to celebrate their own religious beliefs and cultures, but we don’t require the Office of Diversity and Inclusion controlling the way we choose to celebrate. It is time that the University of Tennessee has local leadership, a Tennessean that reflects the values and priorities of Tennesseans. I say that as a Senator and an alumni.”

Representative Faison weighed in on the issue. “We need to completely reevaluate the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. It appears to be that those that cry the loudest for tolerance are the most intolerant. I believe that the people in our state and employees at the UTK are sensitive to differences in culture and religion. I celebrate Christmas but I recognize that others may have different religions and cultural influences, and that is fine. The University of Tennessee is in Tennessee, supported by Tennessee tax payers, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion is way off base with the majority of Tennesseans. I spent time with Chancellor Cheek last week and believe that he will make the right decision on this issue.”

Concurring with his colleagues, Representative Farmer said, “The University of Tennessee has no business trying to suggest or dictate in any way on this issue. While I hesitate to have a knee jerk reaction regarding the tenure of Chancellor Cheek, it is apparent that he is out of touch with the majority of Tennessee, and I would like to know his thought process on allowing the post. It appears that the role of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion should be a topic of concern.”

Cheek addressed concerns regarding the post of suggestions from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, citing disappointment that the efforts to be inclusive have been misconstrued.