NIC: Christian nationalism behind trustees’ agenda

OMG the majority of the NIC BOT has done it again. They have hired the legal counsel candidate who was least qualified and who was even unwilling to complete the application process. They made thinly veiled comparisons of insignificant issues. It was comparable to using age, weight and height to determine who they should hire. It should be obvious to all who witnessed the show that they were not interested in hiring the most qualified candidate, and someone should have asked them why.

What are the big issues they are smoke screening with little issues? Trustee Banducci provided a clue. He remarked that his examination of the highly qualified candidate’s website revealed an association with DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and he felt that could be a problem. It is not a coincidence that the U.S. Christian Nationalism movement has been actively attempting to defund and eliminate DEI in public higher education. Another “why” would be appropriate. Perhaps helping people understand and appreciate the many perspectives of humanity is contrary to their goals of making patriotic, homogeneous Christianity the foundation of all public education.

So, the Christian nationalism ideology is apparently the non-declared objective of the Board majority. A big “why” is again appropriate. They are likely reluctant to announce their motivations and plans for NIC, because they suspect the majority of the electorate would not favor such a redesign of NIC or of public higher education. They also know such ambitious plans will need the support of a college attorney who is aligned with the appropriate ideology, and that ideology will be more important than actual qualifications.

GARY COFFMAN

Coeur d’Alene