Hundreds of University of Cincinnati students, faculty, staff and community members gathered early Tuesday morning to protest the university’s rollback of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs, as well as new “biological” bathroom signs on campus. Gathering outside the university’s Board of Trustees meeting, protesters demanded that UC President Neville Pinto explain why he’s conceding the fight for students’ rights before proposed state and federal orders become law.

CityBeat was inside the Board of Trustees meeting where protesters lodged sharp criticism at UC’s top decision-makers. For a full breakdown of the laws looming over Ohio colleges and how UC is handling the changing legal landscape, click here.
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CityBeat spoke with some protesters before they marched into the university’s Teachers-Dyer Complex. Evelyn Hayberger told CityBeat her bathroom use has always been limited on campus, but the implementation of policies from Senate Bill 104 — also known as the “Bathroom Bill” — sends an even darker message.

“We know the government wants to isolate trans people more; they want to get rid of them from public life,” she said. “UC has been extremely and overly complicit in that fact, and those bathrooms are just a symptom.”

Tod Ingram told CityBeat he came to the protest as a faith leader in the Cincinnati community. He said the educational threats behind SB 1 will set students back.

“If we don’t have the ability to discuss what’s difficult and address it head on, we’ll become — excuse the phrase — whitewashed,” Ingram said. “Without any sort of diversified scape to our land, and that doesn’t represent the country in which we live … it’s terribly harmful. You have to know where you came from in order to plot where you’re going.”

Cameron, who did not provide his last name to CityBeat, is studying industrial design at UC. He said SB 1 weakens higher education.

“I’m here to protest the banning of certain words and ideas in our university, which is inherently anti-higher education,” Cameron said. “I think there’s this communal outrage right now. It’s never been like this.”

Casey Semple, a law student at UC, told CityBeat he has one message to the trustees: stop SB 1.

“SB 1 is restricting academic freedom, it’s restricting First Amendment freedoms,” he said. “My classmates and I, my professors and I all feel very strongly that SB 1 is simply looking to espouse racism under a different name, and we’re here to fight that.”

Photos by Maylea Salmon

Hailey Kelps and Chloe Caudill, students at the University of Cincinnati, hold a sign as they wait outside of the Teachers-Dyer Complex during a protest against the University of Cincinnati’s compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. “We’re just here based on basic human empathy, to support our friends, to support the people we love and to support ourselves.” Photo: Maylea Salmon
A group of people hold signs and pose for a photo during a protest against the University of Cincinnati’s compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
Protestors walk toward the Teachers-Dyer Complex to protest the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees’ compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
Protestors hold signs during a protest against the University of Cincinnati’s compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
Protestors stand outside of the Board of Trustees meeting in the Teachers-Dyer Complex to protest the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees’ compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
Valerie Weinstein and Bennett Kottler hold their signs as they wait outside of Teacher-Dyers Hall during a protest against the University of Cincinnati’s compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. “This is an embarrassment to an institution of higher learning.” Photo: Maylea Salmon
Protestors walk toward the Teachers-Dyer Complex to protest the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees’ compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
Protestors walk toward the Teachers-Dyer Complex to protest the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees’ compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
A protestor holds a sign during a protest against the University of Cincinnati’s compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104.
Protestors walk toward the Teachers-Dyer Complex to protest the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees’ compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
Protestors walk toward the Teachers-Dyer Complex to protest the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees’ compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
Protestors walk toward the Teachers-Dyer Complex to protest the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees’ compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
A protestor holds a sign during a protest against the University of Cincinnati’s compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
Protestors walk toward the Teachers-Dyer Complex to protest the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees’ compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
A protestor holds a sign during a protest against the University of Cincinnati’s compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
Protestors stand outside the Teachers-Dyer Complex during the Board of Trustees meeting to protest the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees’ compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
Protestors stand outside the Teachers-Dyer Complex during the Board of Trustees meeting to protest the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees’ compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
A protestor holds a sign during a protest against the University of Cincinnati’s compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
A protestor holds a sign during a protest against the University of Cincinnati’s compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
A protestor holds a sign during a protest against the University of Cincinnati’s compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
A protestor holds a sign during a protest against the University of Cincinnati’s compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
Protestors stand outside the Teachers-Dyer Complex during the Board of Trustees meeting to protest the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees’ compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
University of Cincinnati President Neville Pinto waves to community members who are protesting as he walks into the Board of Trustees meeting. Photo: Maylea Salmon
A protestor holds a sign during a protest against the University of Cincinnati’s compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
A protestor holds a sign during a protest against the University of Cincinnati’s compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon
A protestor holds a sign during a protest against the University of Cincinnati’s compliance with Senate Bills 1 and 104. Photo: Maylea Salmon