Undercover Video: UNC Administrator Circumvents DEI Ban
Last night, the nonprofit Accuracy in Media released undercover video that showed UNC-Charlotte’s Assistant Director of Leadership and Community, Janique Sanders, bragging about the ways her office is working continue DEI policies. Last May, the North Carolina System Board of Governors voted to eliminate DEI offices and spending programs across the system, including the three DEI offices at UNC Charlotte. The changes by the UNC Board of Governors comes as Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly are working to pass legislation to permanently defund DEI initiatives across North Carolina state government, including the UNC System.
Here are the key quotes from Sanders from the undercover video explaining how the university is circumventing the new policy banning DEI:
“If you’re looking for an outward DEI position, not gonna happen. But if you are interested in doing work that is covert, there are opportunities.”
“We had a former DEI policy. That established a CDO presence on this campus. I’m just going to give you’re the real spiel. I’m not about to hide it. Because I have an honest, a general feeling that you’re fine. And that you won’t go back and say ‘Hey she taught me all this stuff.’”
The interviewer asked, “Is there equity work on campus happening.” Sanders responded, “I can’t say that. But… [laughter]. We’ve renamed it, we’ve reorganized, we’re recalibrated so to speak. Yeah because language changes right? But the people who have to be in the presence of, and in the space don’t change.”
“That’s what I told my students this year, the word of the year is ‘finesse.’ So there are certain things I can’t say. And I haven’t said them this whole time. I’m pretty good at learning how to be PC.”
Accuracy in Media takes action
Accuracy in the Media took action by confronting University leadership with this video of their administrator ignoring policy, and the administration declined to comment. Next, Accuracy in the Media launched a website (www.SaveNCSchools.com) that allows North Carolinians to directly contact the UNC Board of Governors about this policy violation at UNC Charlotte. The organization will continue to hold institutions of higher education accountable for pushing divisive DEI policies.
