College coordinator caught on camera admitting University of Utah is subverting DEI crackdown
A University of Utah employee was seen in an Accuracy in Media undercover video admitting the school is attempting to circumvent federal bans on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The staff member said that the university simply has to market the existing DEI programs differently.
A university staff member was recently exposed after admitting the school is trying to rebrand its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the face of federal scrutiny.
Lucas Alvarez, an education coordinator at the University of Utah, unknowingly made the admission to an undercover reporter for Accuracy in Media.
“I mean, like, the programs that we’re doing, I think technically we’re still allowed to do them but they have to be marketed a certain way,” Alvarez said in the video.
Alvarez also justified the DEI programs and instruction under the guise of professors’ “academic freedom.” He declined to comment further when he was shown the footage and questioned by Adam Guillette, Accuracy in Media president.
LeiLoni McLaughlin, the school’s director of the Center for Community and Cultural Engagement (CCE), denied Alvarez’s claims.
“I think what he was referring to was the professors having academic freedom to do research and speak from their expertise in the field that they’ve studied,” she said.
She also claimed that with the legislative changes, “every university has had to shift.” When asked if the shift refers to the university programs or simply how they are marketed, she responded, “both.”
The CCE and the Center for Student Access and Resources (CSAR) were both opened following the passage of House Bill 261 in an apparent attempt to undermine the law’s anti-DEI stance.
CSAR provides a number of resources, including free Plan B contraceptives and “pleasure packs,” the latter of which are also available through the Center for Campus Wellness. The packs include condoms, lube, and oral dams if requested, according to a previous Campus Reform report.
CCE hosts cultural events such as Crimson Conversations, an event hosted last fall that served as a catch-all to celebrate “Hispanic Heritage Month, LGBTQ History Month and Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month,” one school official told The Daily Utah Chronicle.
In a statement to Campus Reform, the University of Utah said Alvarez was not a spokesperson for the institution and that McLaughlin’s comments were more closely aligned with the school’s position.
”I reject the assertion that the university is hiding diversity work with rebranding and remarketing,” University of Utah Communications Director Rebecca Walsh said in the statement. “The changes required under HB 261 transformed how we support student success, recruit faculty, celebrate events and create a sense of belonging on our campus.
”University of Utah leaders are continually reviewing our processes to remain in compliance with the requirements of Utah HB 261 and changes at the federal level.”
All relevant parties have been contacted for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
