By Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon
As one of the Gem State’s top universities, Boise State brings a spotlight to Idaho. The Broncos’ run to the College Football Playoff last year electrified the nation, and students from around the globe come to Boise each year to study at this world-class institution.
Yet all is not well in the halls of academia. BSU has not been immune to the creeping specters of Marxism, diversity/equity/inclusion (DEI), intersectionality, and anti-American hatred. Like many public and private universities, BSU embraced the notion that “diversity” requires discrimination against certain people because of their ethnicity, that prospective employees should pledge allegiance to DEI principles, and that it is acceptable to marginalize conservative students and staff because of their beliefs.
The Legislature has worked hard to protect students’ rights and uphold American values such as freedom of speech and equality before the law. But BSU has persisted in promoting ideas that are not only contrary to our Constitution, but also abhorrent to the people of Idaho.
Accountability starts at the top. For the past six years, BSU president Marlene Tromp has brought a California perspective to Idaho. Under her watch, BSU was found liable for driving Big City Coffee off campus after student activists protested the owner’s support for police and first responders. That judgment cost the university millions of dollars, not to mention seven-figure attorney’s fees, meaning taxpayers are likely on the hook for a substantial sum, all because BSU refused to stand up to the woke mob.
Now that Tromp is headed to Vermont—a deep-blue state where she will no doubt feel more at home—it’s time for someone with Idaho values to lead Boise State University. The task of hiring the next president falls to the State Board of Education, composed of seven members from across Idaho appointed by the Governor, along with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The decision over who will lead one of our premier institutions into the next decade is so important. The Board must choose someone not only capable of managing a large and complex university, but who also reflects the values of the majority of Idahoans. We don’t need another leftist ideologue preaching Marxism and globalism to the next generation, someone who believes all Trump supporters are racists and misogynists, and who gives cover and support to the most extreme elements of the left.
There is no reason our big cities and major universities must be bastions of leftism. I call on the State Board of Education to select a president who embodies the values that made Idaho, and America, great. Let us show the nation and the world that Idaho can lead the next Golden Age.
About Dorothy Moon
Dorothy Moon was elected to serve as the chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party in July of 2022, and reelected in 2024. Moon served three terms in the Idaho Legislature as State Representative for District 8. Moon’s career in public service has focused on the advancement of individual liberties and reducing the size and scope of government.
