Despite a state and federal ban on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs in higher education, an administrator at Northern Kentucky University suggests the ideology remains embedded in both coursework and structure, shielded by accreditation requirements.

Accuracy in Media sent an undercover investigator to Northern Kentucky University to find out if  the school is complying with House Bill 4, restricting DEI-related initiatives. The investigator met with Dr. Caroline Macke, Director of the School of Social Work, who spoke candidly about how the university has adapted.

Macke framed DEI not as a discretionary component of education, but as foundational to the discipline itself.

“One of the beautiful things about social work is that we focus on all of those things… it’s central to everything that we do. And the beauty of it is, despite whatever is going on in the outside world and the larger kind of political climate, we continue to focus on that.”

While NKU has formally eliminated certain identity-based offices in response to the law, Macke acknowledged that the underlying functions—and personnel—remain intact under new branding.

“Those no longer exist because of House Bill 4. So what NKU has done… is the people who ran those centers, none of them have been let go. They restructured in a way that we’re following the law. So we’re still able to serve our students in the same way that we were.”

She pointed to the creation of the “Norse Center for Belonging” as an example of this transition.

“They were telling the university community, ‘hey we still exist, it’s under a different name. We’re still here.’”

Macke also made clear that, in her view, the political shift against DEI is misguided.

“Terms like Social Justice, Inclusion, Diversity have all been flagged… I don’t even know how that’s possible. It’s ludicrous.”

Perhaps most notably, Macke stated that accreditation standards provide a form of insulation from state and federal policy changes. According to her, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) mandates DEI-related instruction as part of its required competencies.

“Our accrediting body… requires us to teach nine competencies and one of those focuses exclusively on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It’s literally a core part of our curriculum… it offers our program a lot of protection.”

She added that this requirement effectively limits the university’s obligation or ability to alter coursework in response to new laws.

“Because what’s going on at the state level or at the federal level can’t influence our curriculum… we have not made any changes nor do we plan to because it’s central to what we do.”

While Kentucky’s law has prompted structural changes on paper, the principles and programming associated with DEI persist through rebranding and accreditation frameworks and radical administrators.

Take action now by visiting DEIinKentucky.com to send one message directly to relevant elected officials and demand accountability. No taxpayer should be forced to fund programs that operate in defiance of state law.

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This video, produced by Accuracy in Media, features undercover footage of a recruiter for UT-Arlington’s social work school discussing the institution’s approach to state-level restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Melissa Cruz explains that while the university has had to remove certain terminology and abide by new bans, the core intent, research, and curriculum of their social work program remains unchanged.

According to Cruz, faculty members are well-versed in how to navigate these legislative changes. Instead of using “banned” terminology that could trigger administrative scrutiny, they have rebranded specific concepts; for instance, continuing education units previously labeled as “cultural competency” are now classified as “human service” hours.

She emphasized that professors still cover topics related to DEI, such as race and gender, by adjusting their language to avoid prohibited words. Cruz further described the faculty’s mission as one of “pushing back” and causing “good trouble” to maintain the program’s original focus despite political pressure.

Cruz also noted that the program continues to adhere to national accreditation standards set by bodies like the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), which may conflict with state-level mandates.

Accreditation under the CSWE was the subject of another video released by the same group last week showing continued DEI at the University of North Texas. The Steve Hicks School of Social Work at UT-Austin also requires so-called “antiracism” training as part of its accreditation with this organization.

Senate Bill 17, a 2023 state law that banned DEI in university human resources policies, contains specific exemptions for accreditation and “academic course instruction.”

Social work education has a long history as a repository for woke content, both nationally and in the Lone Star State.

In 2025, Baylor University’s Garland School of Social Work returned a grant to promote LGBT ideology within churches following public backlash.

UNT social work professors have spoken at trans-affirming conferences and require adherence to woke ideology.

“The statements reflected in the video do not represent university policy or practice,” a UT-Arlington spokesperson told Texas Scorecard in a statement. “As a result, the employee referenced in the video is no longer employed by the university.”

Read the rest of the Texas Scorecard’s article here.

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Texas has banned Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in public universities, but newly obtained undercover footage suggests the underlying content may still be taught—just under different names.

Posing as a prospective student, an Accuracy in Media investigator met with Melissa Cruz, an Academic Recruiter in Social Work at the University of Texas at Arlington, to ask how the school is handling the changes.

Cruz made clear that while certain DEI-related terms are no longer used, the material itself has not gone away.

“There’s like a hundred words that are banned now… DEI stuff,” Cruz said. “The professors already know what’s going on… they still talk about what they need to talk about.”

She explained that faculty have adjusted their language to stay within the law while continuing to cover the same topics.

“They still hit on topics that would be around DEI—they just don’t use those words that would get them in trouble.”

Cruz also acknowledged that coursework tied to DEI has been renamed rather than removed.

“We still have to cover the content…it’s a huge part of what we do,” she said. “Before they were called ‘cultural competency hours,’ now they are just called ‘human service hours.’”

“The intention is still the same. The research is still the same. The practice is still the same—it’s just called something different now.”

When asked directly whether subjects like race and gender are still part of the curriculum, Cruz responded, “Yes.”

She pointed to accreditation requirements as one reason the material remains in place, referencing the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), which sets national standards for social work programs.

“We still have to abide by… governing bodies,” Cruz said. “They follow national legislation… and that passes down to us. At the state level, that is totally different.”

“Rest assured, the work that we do is still the same—it’s just classified differently.”

Cruz also described the role of social work programs in advancing what she characterized as social justice goals.

“Our job is to push back and to cause good trouble,” she said, noting that many of those themes are already built into required coursework.

Accuracy in Media contends that social work programs should not require coursework rooted in divisive, ideological frameworks, and rejects the claim that DEI is necessary for accreditation. Instead it points to Florida, which enacted restrictions on DEI in higher education, as evidence that universities can operate without embedding identity-based concepts into their required curricula.

Visit DEIinTexas.com to send a message to university trustees and the state Attorney General. No taxpayer should be forced to fund illegal DEI in the state of Texas.

The post “Our Job is to Push Back”: Defiant DEI Defenders Continue Work Under New Labels at UT Arlington appeared first on Accuracy In Media.

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Paxton’s demand and the investigation

According to a press release from the Texas Attorney General’s Office, Paxton has opened an official probe and sent a letter to the dean of UNT’s College of Public Affairs and Human Sciences. The letter seeks “an explanation of the claims,” copies of all DEI-related policies and guidance, details about accreditation, and all correspondence involving DEI. In the release, Paxton labeled the described conduct “calamitous” and added, “This should result in immediate termination.” His office said the inquiry was triggered by an online video that appears to show a staff member explaining how DEI-aligned material remains embedded in coursework.

The video that sparked it

The three-minute undercover recording, posted by Accuracy in Media, appears to feature Paige Falco, a field education coordinator, saying that DEI is “definitely still a focus” and describing how certain phrases can be stripped from course titles while the underlying content stays in place. After the clip surfaced on YouTube, several outlets picked it up, noting that the staffer pointed to national accreditation requirements as a reason some of the material remains in the curriculum. The video, paired with Paxton’s letter, has reignited arguments over how far universities can go in aligning with accreditors while staying inside the lines of state law.

Read the rest of Hoodline’s article here.

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DALLAS — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wants the University of North Texas to turn over any documentation about its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, arguing the school is breaking state laws to “push radical DEI ideology.”

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The investigation is in response to a video from June 18, 2025, published by activism media-watchdog group Accuracy in Media on April 6, featuring Falco answering questions about DEI teachings in the Department of Social Work. In the video, also published by Texas Scorecard on April 7, Falco said the department has to teach “anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion” to remain eligible for accreditation.

“The views expressed by a UNT staff member in June are inconsistent with the university’s commitments and practices as a public institution to comply with state and federal laws and regulations,” Director of Media Relations Devynn Case said in an email to the North Texas Daily.

The Daily reached out to Falco and received an automated response saying she was “no longer employed by the university.” The university confirmed Falco is not currently employed and is working to confirm the date of her change in employment.

The elimination of DEI at the university came after Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 17 in 2023. SB 17 prohibits Texas public colleges from maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and offices. The law also forbids public universities from requiring employees to participate in DEI training or make DEI statements.

In adherence to SB 17, the university eliminated or modified 187 activities, resources and undergraduate academic programs between December 2024 and January 2025. The university also eliminated 78 graduate courses in the College of Education in November 2025.

The video was taken by an anonymous interviewer, who the press release described as an “undercover investigator.” The video captures Falco speaking with the interviewer about how classes within the department have to meet accreditation requirements as well as adhere to SB 17.

Read the rest of North Texas Daily’s article here.

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The video, from the conservative group Accuracy in Media, allegedly showed a staff member explaining how the school teaches banned lessons by avoiding certain keywords and titles related to diversity, equity and inclusion, according to a press release.

“This should result in immediate termination,” Paxton wrote in a statement calling for the staff member to be fired. “Texas deserves better than a UNT leadership that systematically allows the worst elements of the radical Left to run its campus.”

A spokesperson for UNT told KERA the staff member is no longer employed by the university.

Paxton sent a letter to the dean of the College of Public Affairs and Human Sciences, demanding a statement addressing the claims, as well as a statement detailing UNT’s compliance with a 2024 state law, all DEI policies and all messages between UNT leadership and staff regarding DEI.

“The views expressed by a UNT staff member in June are inconsistent with the university’s commitments and practices as a public institution to comply with state and federal laws and regulations,” the spokesperson told KERA in a statement.

Read the rest of KERA’s article here.

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The probe, announced on April 10, examines whether UNT continues to teach DEI concepts and directs staff to follow policies prohibited by state law.

“The DEI ideology has been a calamitous way that radical leftists have pushed a woke agenda in our educational institutions,” Paxton said. “Texas law is clear that these DEI policies have no place in our state-funded institutions. Last year, UNT leadership refused to do anything in the face of left-wing terror being celebrated by radical students.

“Now, its own staff appears to be flaunting the breaking of state law to push radical DEI ideology. This should result in immediate termination. Texas deserves better than a UNT leadership that systematically allows the worst elements of the radical Left to run its campus.”

The investigation stems from a video circulating online that shows a Field Education Coordinator from UNT’s Social Work Department. Recorded undercover, the video captures the staff member describing how DEI is taught in classes without using explicit DEI terms and suggesting ways staff can evade the law.

Paxton sent a letter to the dean of UNT’s College of Public Affairs and Human Sciences citing the video. The letter demands an explanation of the staff member’s claims, a statement on UNT’s legal compliance, all university DEI policies and guidance, details on DEI in accreditation standards, and correspondence between leadership and staff on DEI.

Read the rest of the Dallas Express’ article here.

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The staff member says in the video that professors still teach DEI topics at UNT, but do so under different keywords and titles. The person then implies that university staff are able to “get around the law” to continue teaching DEI topics, Paxton said. “The DEI ideology has been a calamitous way that radical leftists have pushed a woke agenda in our educational institutions,” Paxton wrote in a statement. “Texas law is clear that these DEI policies have no place in our state-funded institutions. This should result in immediate termination. Texas deserves better than a UNT leadership that systematically allows the worst elements of the radical Left to run its campus.” A spokesperson for UNT told the Star-Telegram the university is aware of the investigation and the staff member’s comments were not in line with state law. “The views expressed by a UNT staff member in June are inconsistent with the university’s commitments and practices as a public institution to comply with state and federal laws and regulations,” the spokesperson wrote. Paxton sent a letter to UNT’s dean of the College of Public Affairs and Human Sciences about the video. He highlighted in the letter that Texas law prohibits universities from engaging in DEI topics and activities. Paxton wrote that he is demanding an explanation about the contents of the video.

Read more of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s article here. 

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