Mississippi’s State Auditor Shad White Responds to Accusations by MSU Spokesman Sid Salter
JACKSON, Miss. – In a recent sharp turn of events, Mississippi’s State Auditor, Shad White, has taken to social media to refute claims made by Mississippi State University (MSU) spokesman, Sid Salter, within which White has been accused of spreading false information about the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs at state universities.
White’s Response to Salter’s Accusations
In a lengthy social media post, White categorically denied Salter’s assertions. He called out the use of taxpayer resources for ‘liberal garbage,’ which he believes is prevalent at state universities. In his words, “I look at our universities and I see the ways they waste taxpayer resources on this liberal garbage, and it’s frustrating,”
White further expressed disappointment with the current allocation of resources, wishing instead for the universities to dedicate these assets towards the betterment of education and the economy. He wrote: “I hope they’ll get back to educating the doctors, accountants, and engineers our economy needs.”
Claims and Refutation
The clash between the two public figures is rooted in White’s statements about spending on DEI programs in universities across Mississippi. According to White, DEI programs at universities like MSU are promoting radical ideologies at the expense of taxpayers’ dollars.
The Auditor claimed that, “These crazy DEI programs push ideas like ‘whiteness’ is evil, and they waste money on big salaries and grants for nonsense like equity-based preschool yoga,”
Challenging the Communication Chief
Salter, on his part, dismissed White’s assertions, stating that the auditor’s descriptions did not represent activities happening at MSU or any other university in the state. In his responsive quote, Salter specified, “What Shad White describes on the political stump is not what we’re doing at Mississippi State University… He’s entitled to his opinion. He’s not entitled to his facts.”
White, however, vehemently defends his viewpoints, stating that the evidence at hand contradicts Salter’s statements. According to the Auditor, MSU has openly expressed pride in its research on ‘white privilege’ and also supported ‘anti-racist’ ideology. White insists that Salter must have been aware of these developments during his tenure as the chief communications officer for the university.
In his social media post, White reiterated his stance, “This isn’t some slip of the tongue for him; it’s the second time this month he’s said something like this to statewide media.”
Unresolved Conflict
The DEI programs at university campuses continue to be a point of contention between White and Salter. The MSU website does include a link to its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on its sitemap, redirecting users to MSU’s Office of Inclusive Excellence. As of now, Salter has yet to respond to our request for his view.
