Regents want control of Noem's 'woke' tip line, governor's office declines

Governor set up anonymous reporting system to field complaints about liberalism on college campuses

Board of Regents President Tim Rave, Vice President Jeff Partridge and Regent Pam Roberts listen as legislative leaders discuss their approach to working with the BOR. (Joe Sneve / The Dakota Scout)

Gov. Kristi Noem won’t hand control of a “whistleblower” tip line for complaints about progressivism on college campuses to the state agency that oversees higher education in South Dakota.

Amid pressure from the Republican governor to reign in “liberal ideologies” at public universities here, the South Dakota Board of Regents requested the governor allow the Regents administrative office to handle the telephone message system going forward.

Since the tipline was set up in May, the governor’s office contends the line has fielded dozens of reports of alleged inappropriate activities and teachings at South Dakota’s public universities, including mask shaming, racial directives and the pressuring of students to conform to liberal ideologies. 

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