DEI disguised: Undercover footage shows UNC official ignoring ban right

By
Brianna Kraemer
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Renamed, reorganized, and recalibrated—that’s what an administrator at the University of North Carolina Charlotte said officials are doing in the wake of the UNC Board of Trustees’s policy decision to slash diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

In 2024, the Board of Governors voted to amend DEI policies on campuses statewide to maintain “institutional neutrality.” However, undercover footage from Accuracy in Media released this week exposed a university administrator explaining how officials skirt the DEI ban. Furthermore, the group says they have additional footage from roughly six different UNC campuses.

UNC Charlotte’s Assistant Director of Leadership and Community Engagement, Janique Sanders, was caught on hidden camera admitting the university continues DEI work despite state bans.

“So equity work is still happening on campus?” the undercover journalist asks.

“I can’t say that,” she responds to the journalist. “But… So we’ve renamed it, we’ve revised, we’ve recalibrated it, so to speak.”

In the video, she explained that front-facing DEI positions don’t exist, but rather, there are opportunities to do the work covertly.

“We just finesse the language,” Sanders says in the footage. “We do work that is covert.”

When a reporter tried to confront the university’s provost for comment, she ran away without answering questions. The footage has sparked backlash online, with state and federal leaders reacting strongly.

“DEI, no matter what name or acronym you use, doesn’t belong in education,” Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, reacted to the video on X. “The NC Senate has already taken concrete steps to address this by passing SB558, a bill I filed to eliminate DEI from UNC System schools and community colleges.”

In response to Berger’s post, the president of Accuracy in Media commented that the organization has additional videos from roughly half a dozen North Carolina universities.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division reacted to the video as well, writing “Is that so.”

Dhillon also announced this week that the DOJ has filed a lawsuit against North Carolina and the North Carolina State Board of Elections for failure to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act 

UNC Charlotte responded to the incident in an online comment Thursday afternoon, claiming the employee doesn’t reflect the university’s actions and that they continue to uphold the UNC System policy. They pledged to conduct a review to ensure all employees are adhering to the policies and laws in place.

Speaker of the House Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, applauded the university’s response on X.

In addition to the UNC System working to bar DEI initiatives in state universities, the General Assembly has been advancing legislation to ban DEI as well.

In April, the North Carolina Senate passed a measure to ban DEI in higher education. The legislation prohibits UNC System schools and community colleges from promoting discriminatory policies and practices.

“Unfortunately, college campuses are plagued with ‘DEI’ initiatives,” Berger previously said. “We want campuses to be welcoming environments for all students. It’s time for our higher education institutions to focus on their core missions, and this bill will do just that.”

While the bill hasn’t moved in the North Carolina House since it passed the Senate, the House approved a similar effort in House Bill 171, which bars state agencies from promoting, supporting, funding, or maintaining DEI programs, including in hiring, staffing, or training. Moreover, the measure prohibits state agencies, local governments, and non-state entities from using state funds for DEI initiatives and from applying for federal funds that require DEI compliance.

SEE ALSO: NC House bill to ban DEI agenda in state and local government advances

The post DEI disguised: Undercover footage shows UNC official ignoring ban right first appeared on Carolina Journal.