Rutgers Cancels DEI Conference After Trump's Executive Orders; Fulop, Baraka Critical

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Both Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop — both running to be New Jersey's next governor — criticized Rutgers University for canceling a planned diversity, equity and inclusion conference that Rutgers was supposed to host this Thursday.

Marybeth Gasman, director of the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions, wrote here the conference was canceled after President Donald Trump issued multiple executive orders canceling DEI hiring efforts in the federal government, private employers and the U.S. military.

The conference was going to be entirely virtual. Gasman said the U.S. Department of Labor funds the center's work, so Rutgers has to follow executive orders from the president and the U.S. federal government.

"Unfortunately, due to President Trump’s Executive Orders titled 'Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,' issued on January 20, 2025, and 'Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,' issued on January 21, 2025, we have been asked to cease all work under the auspices of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility HUB at Jobs for the Future," she wrote.

Newark Mayor Baraka, who last week also criticized Trump for ICE agents leading a raid at a seafood processing plant in his city, criticized Rutgers for canceling the conference. Both Baraka and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop took to X (formerly Twitter) this week to say Rutgers made the wrong decision.

"We can’t allow this,” said Baraka. “Rutgers, and any other schools preemptively pulling DEI programming, is an utter failure of courage in the face of political foolishness. We know better .... (DEI initiatives) are proven strategies that make our workplaces more productive, our students more learned, and our economy stronger and more stable. More importantly, striving for equity is the right thing to do ... Rutgers should not feel alone in the face of this bully. I call on all private sector partners, responsible corporations, and those who believe in democracy to stand with our institutions against the threat of defunding."

But Fulop took it one step further, accusing Rutgers of "fostering a bully culture," but without getting into specifics of what he meant.

"Mayor Baraka is 100% right, now is no time to cower to bullies. But let’s be clear — Rutgers as an institution has fostered a bully culture for a few years now," Fulop wrote to X Saturday. "One that targets employees with institutional knowledge and memory, which does a disservice to the students. Look no further than the most recent additions to the Board as where the worst of NJ politics and higher education intertwine here ... When I’m Governor of New Jersey, I will end the university’s bend toward corporate interests and machine favors, and I will nominate retired professors and staff to serve as members of the Board of Governors."

This November will be an election for New Jersey governor, as two-term Gov. Phil Murphy cannot seek a third term. Baraka, Fulop, NJ 5 Congressman Josh Gottheimer, NJ 11 Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, Montclair mayor and president of the NJ statewide teachers' union Sean Spiller and former NJ Senate President Steve Sweeney (he no longer holds political office) are all running to be the Democratic nominee.

On the Republican side, former assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli is running, as is NJ101.5 radio host Bill Spadea (he is stepping down from his show at the end of the month) and former state Sen. Ed Durr, "Ed the Trucker" from South Jersey, among a host of lesser-known names.

Republican state Sen. Jon Bramnick said last year he would drop out of the race if Trump won re-election (he is a never-Trump Republican), but he appears to still be running. He launched his campaign Monday.

The primary election for both parties will be June 10.

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