YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Youngstown State University President Bill Johnson responded Monday to a new state law, saying YSU remains committed to its primary purpose of educating students about how to think, not what to think.

Senate Bill 1, signed Friday by Gov. Mike DeWine, bans diversity, equity and inclusion programs and rescinds certain collective bargaining and tenure protections for faculty. It also will make schools promise not to influence student views on controversial topics, require every Ohio college student to take a three-hour civics education course and impose other programmatic and administrative changes. Schools that violate its provisions will risk losing their state funding, The Associated Press reported.

State Sen. Jerry Cirino of Kirtland was the bill’s sponsor. The Senate approved it in January, followed by the House in late March.

The bill drew protests and opposition testimony from students, unions and other groups.

Johnson’s full statement can be read below:

Pictured at top: YSU President Bill Johnson.