OGDEN, Utah — Indigenous author Darcie Little Badger was set to speak at Weber State University’s Annual Native Symposium, but she canceled her appearance.
In a post she made on the social media platform Bluesky, she said she withdrew from the engagement because she was sent a list of "prohibited words and concepts.” Some of the words and concepts on the list she shared included "Bias," "Critical Race Theory" and "Oppression."
This week, I withdrew from a speaking engagement at a public university because they sent me a list of prohibited “words & concepts.” I will not humor this censorship. It does a disservice to the stories I’m discussing & the audience, who deserve unfettered access to information & conversation.[image or embed]
— Darcie Little Badger (@littlebadger.bsky.social) November 20, 2025 at 3:20 PM
“I feel like our universities should be places for free speech and for stories and for people to have access to all different ideas,” said Rebekah Cummings, co-founder of Let Utah Read.
She said seeing the prohibited list initially seemed like censorship, but she’s glad the university is taking steps to revise it.
“But it also makes me feel like this is what happens when we pass overly broad laws that breeds a culture of fear, that people feel they need to comply beyond the scope of the law,” Cummings said.
Dalane England, Eagle Forum’s Vice President of Issues, said House Bill 261 is not meant to be a form of censorship.
“The law doesn’t ban words. It doesn’t even ban an ideology,” England said. "In essence, it says we need to teach everyone their value, their importance. It’s banning the discrimination of any race or any sex. It’s getting rid of that, and saying everyone is on equal ground."
In a letter to the WSU community, Interim President Leslie Durham addressed the situation regarding their approach to HB 261.
The message read:
"To our WSU community,
"Good morning. We wanted to reach out and let you know that we are aware of media coverage in recent months that has reported on Weber State University’s approach to HB 261, particularly with regard to events and guest speakers on our campuses.
"Of course, as a public institution, Weber State must adhere to HB 261. From the time the bill was passed in January 2024 until it went into effect in July 2024, we worked to develop guidance that would help our faculty, staff, and students understand the law and how it applies to various aspects of our university.
"This has not been a perfect process. We knew there would be a season of learning among Utah’s various institutions, and we anticipated needing to make adjustments along the way. We are learning from early and well-intentioned efforts at working within this new framework.
"With help from the Utah Commissioner of Higher Education, Weber State is currently reviewing our existing guidance, and where appropriate, will revise that guidance to be more nuanced in its understanding of where and how learning happens on our campuses. We aim to improve communication with event planners and prospective speakers, and we intend to be clear that the Utah System of Higher Education’s “Institutional Neutrality and Speech Guidance” allows universities to “provide forums for, and invite speakers to speak on political or social issues if it does so in a reasonably neutral manner, providing opportunities for listeners to hear opposing speakers and/or other viewpoints.”
"The goal of this review and revised approach is to uphold the letter and spirit of the law, but also to ensure we remain fiercely committed to free speech, academic freedom, and fostering an environment where everyone at WSU feels welcome to express their thoughts, engage different viewpoints, and learn from one another. This is foundational to the educational experience and to the success of our students.
"Thank you for understanding as we work through this complex process. We appreciate your continued dedication to WSU as we move into this next chapter."
While the university reviews and revises its guidance, the prohibited words and concepts section of its Speaker Information Request form has been removed.
