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‘It’s not like it’s not being done, but it’s not called that,’ administrator says in undercover video
The University of Missouri Kansas City suspended an employee last week after the individual was caught in an undercover video saying the school continues to practice diversity, equity, and inclusion under a different name.
Accuracy in Media, a conservative investigative group, published the undercover video Tuesday, featuring two of the university’s Kansas City campus employees: Kimberly Johnson, senior program manager of student support services, and Celeste Michael, a graduate assistant in the LGBTQ Rainbow Lounge in the Office of Student Involvement.
Late Thursday, the university stated that it had suspended one of the employees in the video. It did not name which one.
However, Johnson’s LinkedIn profile was taken down sometime over the weekend, according to Corey DeAngelis, a senior advisor with Accuracy in Media.
Additionally, the campus African American Student Union identified Johnson as the individual facing consequences.
A university spokesperson declined to name the individual or comment Friday when contacted by The College Fix. The spokesperson pointed to the university’s statement on X.
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. This employee has been suspended immediately,” the university stated late Thursday on X in response to DeAngelis.
“As of 2024, UMKC no longer has DEI offices or DEI initiatives. We are and will continue to be in full compliance with federal and state laws and directives,” the university stated.
Neither Michael nor Johnson responded to The Fix when contacted by email.
In the video, Johnson and Michael said the university merely rebranded DEI in response to Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe’s 2025 executive order requiring state agencies to “eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.”
“I’m not saying the work isn’t being done, but we don’t have a central office on the campus. Do you see what I mean?” Johnson said in the video.
Asked about DEI, she told the undercover investigator, “It’s not like it’s not being done, but it’s not called that.”
Meanwhile, Michael said employees are trying to keep programs like the LGBTQ office from closing.
“We are kind of taking it day by day and seeing what we can do and continuing to fight for our programs to exist on our campus,” Michael told the undercover investigator. “We had to change some of the wording for our stuff so that our programs and services are open to anyone and everyone.”
The video is the latest in a series of investigations by the undercover group exposing how DEI continues to be pushed, including at public institutions and in states where lawmakers have passed legislation to root out the progressive ideology.
MORE: In fourth undercover video, group highlights ‘sneaky’ DEI at UNC Wilmington
