President Adams was responding to a question about how Utah is handling corporate push back on social justice issues like abortion and transgender bills.
Speaking of bills on those topics that ran in the 2021 legislative session, Adams said, “We tried to do something similar to Florida and Mississippi. It made it through the House, made it to the Senate, we thought we had it done but then there was a pretty big backlash from the Jazz and other sports organizations.”
Then on Critical Race Theory Adams explained that lawmakers put forward a resolution banning certain concepts from being taught in schools after Governor Spencer Cox wouldn’t allow a bill for them to vote on.
Adams said he had received a text message that Mitchell was speaking out in opposition to a Critical Race Theory ban.
“Donovan Mitchell is not happy with us,” Adams said. “And you start to get very popular sports stars like that that are pushing back. We’ve got work to do to try and educate ’em.”
“And my text back was let’s get after him and let’s go tell him what we’re doing because I don’t think he really understands what happened.”
Adams added that Critical Race Theory is “not something we’ve seen a lot of in Utah.” However, he also said, “I think it is a big issue and we’re going to deal with it.”