The University of Alabama was a flagship for DEI under President Stuart Bell, who is now the finalist to become the next president of the University of Florida. Alabama lawmakers restricted DEI activities, but undercover footage suggests Bell’s staff focused on finding ways to continue them.

Despite Alabama’s ban on taxpayer-funded Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, an Accuracy in Media undercover investigation has uncovered a University of Alabama administrator openly discussing ways to work around the law and preserve progressive initiatives on campus.

An Accuracy in Media journalist met with Shemaiah Kenon, Assistant Director of the Intercultural Center. Kenon described a drag queen event previously hosted on campus.

“We actually did, like, an event a long time ago, before DEI became a thing, for drag queens. It was so dope.”

Asked whether similar events could still take place under Alabama’s DEI restrictions, Kenon explained what he viewed as a legal workaround.

“We probably won’t, but a student organization can,” Kenon said. “Basically they apply for funding… if you donate the funds, you can do it. Like the legal ways around it. I don’t know if our state reps were really aware of that.”

Kenon says that she had identified weaknesses in the legislation shortly after it was proposed.

“When I read the draft of the bill, people were calling me like, ‘This is blasphemy.’ I said it’s actually stupid because I found some holes.”

According to Kenon, university employees and allies quickly shifted their focus toward preserving DEI-related programming despite the state’s efforts.

“It was funny because when we met with the state legislator, anybody could have logged on as an affiliate with UA… like yeah, go ahead, it’s ways around this, we can work through this.”

Kenon repeatedly emphasized what he described as widespread progressive support among University of Alabama faculty and staff.

“Most of our faculty and staff are progressive. It’s always the ones you least likely expect to be progressive.”

The administrator also described concerns among university employees about maintaining LGBTQ-focused programming and services after the law’s passage.

“Everyone’s biggest thing honestly was about LGBTQ+ students and resources and access that they can have.”

“We’re so fortunate, like we still can put our pronouns on our name tags, like my email signatures. And so we just did it.”

Perhaps most significantly, Kenon suggested that faculty members were receiving guidance on how to continue incorporating DEI principles into their classrooms despite the policy changes.

“They been on a couple trainings, webinars on how to continue to incorporate the inclusivity piece in there as well as their classroom settings.”

For Alabama taxpayers and lawmakers who believed DEI had been removed from public universities, these comments tell a different story. Now, as Stuart Bell seeks the presidency of the University of Florida, Floridians should examine the culture that flourished under his leadership in Alabama—and ask whether they want the same approach imported into their university system.

Take action at SaveUF.com, where you can send one message which goes to each of the trustees of the University of Florida. It will also go to Alabama’s Attorney General.

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OAN Staff Jenna Lee
11:07 AM – Thursday, June 4, 2026

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a Title VI investigation into Arizona State University’s (ASU) diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs after viral videos appeared to show school officials denying equal treatment to students based on race, color and/or national origin.

The federal agency announced the probe on Wednesday.

“No student should be denied access to opportunities or resources because of race, color, or national origin. The United States is committed to keeping universities free of unlawful discrimination — especially when they try to hide illegal conduct to avoid oversight and compliance,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division in a news release.

Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, colleges and universities that receive federal funding must ensure equal access to students regardless of race, color or national origin.

The videos in question were released by Accuracy in Media (AIM), a conservative media watchdog group founded in 1969. The organization published undercover footage online showing its members questioning ASU staff about how DEI is integrated into the classroom. In one clip, an associate professor was asked about the school’s “inclusive” curriculum within the criminal justice programs.

“I think that there definitely is that within the curriculum. Although you’re not going to see the reference as predominant as it was perhaps two years ago, but it’s still very much a part of the investigation,” responded the associate teaching professor, seemingly admitting that DEI initiatives still linger within the university’s system.

Nonetheless, an ASU spokesperson defended the university’s practices following the news release, further declaring that discrimination is strictly prohibited by state law.

Read the rest of OANN’s article here.

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Posted on June 4, 2026
By Gabrielle Temaat – Assistant Editor

The U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at Arizona State University following the release of several videos indicating DEI remains at the school despite a federal ban.

The probe was prompted by recent viral videos indicating that “ASU denied equal treatment to students based on race, color, or national origin,” the Justice Department announced in a Wednesday news release.

“No student should be denied access to opportunities or resources because of race, color, or national origin,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said.

“The United States is committed to keeping universities free of unlawful discrimination — especially when they try to hide illegal conduct to avoid oversight and compliance,” she said.

The news release notes that federal law bans racial discrimination and ASU receives federal funds.

“The Division’s investigation will examine whether ASU subjects its students to illegal discrimination through its DEI policies in admissions, recruitment, scholarships, tutoring, and the provision of educational support,” the release states.

Over the last several months, watchdog group Accuracy in Media has released five undercover videos showing faculty admitting that they continue to engage in DEI practices at the school.

Read the rest of the College Fix’s article here.

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Arizona State faces DOJ investigation over DEI practices

The agency said the probe stemmed from “recent viral videos indicating ASU denied equal treatment to students” but provided few other details.

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Read the rest of FOX 10’s article here.

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By Michael Katz    |   Wednesday, 03 June 2026 10:00 PM EDT

Arizona State University is under federal investigation over alleged diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, marking an escalation in the Trump administration’s campaign against DEI programs in higher education.

The Department of Justice on Wednesday announced the investigation by its Civil Rights Division, saying it was prompted by recent viral videos that it said showed Arizona State denying equal treatment to students based on race, color, or national origin while attempting to conceal discriminatory practices from federal scrutiny.

“No student should be denied access to opportunities or resources because of race, color, or national origin,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the division, said in a statement.

“The United States is committed to keeping universities free of unlawful discrimination, especially when they try to hide illegal conduct to avoid oversight and compliance.”

Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has issued multiple executive orders aimed at eliminating DEI practices at colleges and universities that receive federal funding or contracts.

The administration has directed federal agencies to pursue enforcement actions against programs it considers discriminatory under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including actions that could result in the loss of grants, contracts, or other federal funding.

Previous actions against more than 50 universities accused of maintaining discriminatory DEI-related programs were primarily led by the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights.

The DOJ’s announcement comes months after Accuracy in Media, a conservative watchdog group, published the first in a series of secretly recorded videos of employees discussing DEI programs at the university.

Read the rest of Newsmax’s article here.

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