The conference, titled “Redacted: Navigating the Complexities of Censorship”, was set to take place at Weber Sate University in the US state of Utah on 2 and 3 October.

It was cancelled after participants rebelled over a 30 September email which explained that presentations would have to comply with new Utah legislation targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

The law means presentations cannot include claims “that sociopolitical structures are inherently power struggles between groups, or suggesting that individuals are inherently privileged, oppressed, racist, sexist, or victims based on personal identity characteristics”, the email said.

They also “should not describe legislation or policies in ways that take a side, such as labelling them ‘harmful’ or attributing them to a partisan ‘strategy’”.

Although there are “academic freedom protections” in the legislation, they did not apply to the conference because of how it was funded, the email explained.

After pushback from participants, the conference – the 27th annual conference in a series – was cancelled at short notice.

A trade union representing faculty and staff hosted an alternative outdoor conference on what would have been the same date, KSL reports.