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Spokesman says university is ‘fully’ compliant with DEI ban, and ‘academic course content’ is exempt
The University of Kentucky says it is “fully” complying with a state ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion after two undercover videos exposed employees suggesting the ideology is still being taught at the public institution.
However, the leader of the investigative group behind the videos – and other past reports exposing continued DEI practices in higher education – told The College Fix that the University of Kentucky is “one of the worst we’ve seen.”
“I think it’s overwhelmingly clear that the law means nothing to the radicals who run higher education,” Adam Guillette, president of Accuracy in Media, said in a phone interview Monday. “This isn’t an instance of one or two bad apples, but rather a completely broken system with universities focused almost exclusively on activism rather than education.”
His investigative group published two undercover videos, one Monday, and another last week, that suggest DEI is still being taught surreptitiously at the public university.
In the video Monday, Tamra Nowitzki, manager of the Department of Psychology, tells an undercover journalist that “most” faculty members are progressive, and the anti-DEI “environment frustrates all of us.”
Nowitzki also suggests the department is still teaching DEI and “antiracism” but disguises it with different wording.
“We can’t actually use those words because, you know, people are dumb,” she says. “But yeah, we still teach all of that.”
Neither Nowitzki nor department Chair Michelle Martel immediately responded to The Fix’s requests for comment Monday, asking about the video.
A second undercover video that Accuracy in Media published last week shows another employee from the Sociology Department suggesting the university is still committed to DEI, despite a 2025 state law that bans administrative spending and advocacy for the ideology.
“Even if it’s not explicitly said, it’s there, and it’s an important part of the curriculum,” department manager Justin Conder tells an undercover reporter when asked about DEI.
“If you look at the syllabuses especially, it’s there,” Conder says in the video.
Neither Conder nor department Chair Edward Morris responded to The Fix’s requests for comment Monday, asking about the video and their views on the state DEI law.
The Fix also asked about the department’s hiring practices, pointing to a section on its website that states that “all” faculty conduct research on “social inequalities.”
“All our faculty conduct research on some area of inequality. We examine disparities related to race, social class, gender, sexuality and disability in institutions such as healthcare, criminal justice, family, and education,” the webpage states. “The department has a long tradition of research on inequalities of geographic location and the environment, especially among rural populations.”
Kentucky House Bill 4, which passed in 2025, prohibits public universities from spending money on DEI activism. It also prohibits universities from requiring current or potential employees to “endorse or condemn a specific ideology or viewpoint.”
University spokesperson Jay Blanton told The Fix in a statement Monday that the university is “fully” compliant with the state law when asked about the video from last week and the research statement on the sociology department’s website.
He noted that the law “protects the academic freedom of faculty, students and student organizations and exempts academic course content or instruction.”
“We are not aware of any issues with respect to curriculum and HB 4 at this time. If we become aware of issues, we will immediately address them according to the law and our policies,” Blanton stated via email, adding that the university began addressing DEI in 2024 before the state law passed.
Its compliance changes include revising job descriptions, ending mandatory DEI trainings and diversity statements, and “prohibiting university resources from being spent on hosting or attending DEI trainings or identity-based events,” he said.
Blanton also emphasized that “no employee speaks on behalf of the university except for the president or his designee.”
Neither Blanton nor other media relations representatives immediately responded to a follow up from The Fix asking about the second video, which was published late Monday afternoon.
In the video Monday, Guillette confronted Blanton about the employees’ comments and the university’s compliance with the DEI ban.
Blanton responded that he was not aware of the comments, but it is “not true” that the university merely changed “wording” to comply with the law. He referred to the “substantive” policy changes the university had made.
“If we hear about issues, with respect to that, we will move to remedy that and correct that,” Blanton said in the video.
Last week, the initial video prompted criticism from several state lawmakers.
“The Kentucky General Assembly banned DEI mandates in higher education last session, and if institutions think they can ignore the law, they’re mistaken,” Rep. Josh Calloway wrote on X, linking to the video.
Another Republican lawmaker, Rep. T.J. Roberts accused university staff of “knowingly breaking the law and indoctrinating students with this trash WITH YOUR TAX DOLLARS.”
“UK certified to the AG that they were complying with HB 4. The videos here tell me UK lied through their teeth,” Roberts wrote on X.
State Attorney General Russell Coleman is looking into the matter, a spokesperson told the Kentucky Lantern late last week.
So far, Accuracy in Media’s Guillette told The Fix that his team is pleased to see state leaders’ responses, and said he spoke with the attorney general’s office and several lawmakers about their investigations.
“We’re excited to see responses, but we’re never pleased until lawbreakers are fired and laws are strengthened,” he said.
MORE: ‘Be wily,’ Morehead State U. professor tells peers about complying with DEI ban
