U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has questioned three Tennessee universities—University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University, and Belmont University—after staff members were recorded admitting to renaming and concealing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs to bypass executive actions from the Trump administration intended to end such initiatives.
In correspondence with these institutions, Blackburn referenced leaked videos in which university employees discussed how DEI programs continue under new names. “Leaked footage shows UTK employees discussing how the University is concealing woke DEI programs by renaming them while continuing to push the harmful content. In one video, a UTK employee said that the DEI programs had not been abandoned and, ‘[They have] been fully committed to the work of DEI.’ He goes on to say, ‘these committees and task forces were built back in 2020 and they’re still up and running… it’s just in terms of some of these bills… they know how to navigate the language within the bills to ensure that DEI is protected.’”
A Vanderbilt employee was also cited in the senator’s letter for acknowledging that changes in program naming followed investigations into university DEI practices. “Leaked video footage shows Vanderbilt employees discussing how the University is concealing woke DEI programs by renaming them while continuing to push this harmful content. In the video, a Vanderbilt employee can be heard saying, ‘different universities were under investigation for their DEI practices… so that’s why I think the naming has changed… we have things that clue people in and let people know.’ Later in the video, when asked if they are engaged in DEI initiatives, she responded affirmatively. And, in another video, one employee exhibited blatant political bias, which raises questions about the extent to which such bias is forced onto the student body by certain activist employees.”
At Belmont University, an official reportedly explained efforts both to reframe DEI activities under new terminology and conceal undocumented students on campus. “Earlier this month, leaked video footage shows a Belmont official explaining how your institution has schemed to reframe its DEI initiatives under different names in violation of President Trump’s executive order. In the video, In the video, the Belmont official can be heard saying, ‘we always try to just adapt to what’s happening around us, but that does not mean, like, what we’re focusing on completely stops, we definitely have to navigate very carefully and just cautiously.’ Later in the video, the Belmont official can be heard referencing enforcement operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to remove criminal illegal aliens from our communities, stating, ‘we do have undocumented students here,’ and ‘we don’t communicate to anybody externally who is undocumented.’ This administration has been very clear: postsecondary education programs funded by the federal government should benefit American citizens—not illegal aliens.”
Senator Blackburn has previously raised concerns regarding compliance with federal directives on ending DEI initiatives at other institutions as well as within federal agencies.
