Undercover Investigation: North Carolina University Officials Caught Admitting to Secretly Continuing DEI Agenda

An undercover investigation has revealed that administrators at North Carolina A&T State University have been quietly maintaining their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs by rebranding them under new names, despite efforts by state and federal officials to dismantle such policies.

“It shook things up around here, but fortunately for us, this office is not actually under the DEI office at all, so we’re able to just keep going. We just like switched up our, you know, changed the wording of things,” said Pascha Miller, assistant director at the Office of Intercultural Engagement, in a video recorded by Accuracy in Media.

The hidden-camera footage, filmed in August and September 2024, surfaced months after the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors voted to effectively ban DEI initiatives and require “institutional neutrality,” according to the Carolina Journal.

Michael Eccles, office manager for the same department, acknowledged the rebranding effort, saying, “The word ‘diversity,’ we had to change saying ‘diversity’ to competency.” When asked if he would describe the process as “creative naming,” Eccles agreed, calling it “cleverly” done.

Austin Horne, assistant director of Programs and Services for members of the to’eva community, confirmed that university officials adapted their approach following new restrictions. “The Board of Governors did a statute in May that is really like, attacking DEI jobs and restricting some of our language,” Horne said. He added that the statute’s vague language left universities to interpret how far they could go without risking legal consequences.

The undercover journalist pressed Horne further: “Just to make sure I understand, so for at least A&T, you’ve not had to like, you’ve just changed or maybe got creative, with some of the language?”

“Yes,” Horne replied. When asked if it was to “get around the legislation,” Horne said, “Well, it’s not even to get around the legislation… some universities like Charlotte have taken that and said these positions can’t function with these rules in place so we’re just going to get rid of them. Every other public university has said they can function, we’re just going to try and shield ourselves from litigation.”

The journalist then asked if that was done “just to appease the politicians.”

“Yes, it’s very much, it’s so vague,” Horne answered.

In another portion of the footage, Eccles said, “It’s been a little bit of a challenge, but we’re still pushing through and trying to make sure people get what they need.” Miller added later, “We don’t use DEI anymore, it’s kind of hard not to use the word ‘diversity,’” laughing as she admitted, “We try not to, you know, just to be safe.”

Fox News Digital previously reported on other universities accused of similar tactics—renaming or quietly continuing DEI programs to avoid scrutiny from the Trump administration or local governments. Earlier this year, UNC Asheville severed ties with its dean of students after she was caught on video saying DEI work was still ongoing, but “you gotta keep it quiet.”

Adam Guillette, president of Accuracy in Media, condemned the behavior, telling Fox News Digital, “North Carolina’s universities have been captured by lawbreaking radicals, and they require fundamental reform. Any government employee who is caught circumventing laws should never again be allowed to earn a paycheck from taxpayers. And the legislature needs to enact a Kansas-style DEI ban which includes both a reporting mechanism and actual consequences for those who flout the law.”