An undercover video has revealed that the University of Virginia continued to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives despite the university board voting to dismantle its DEI office earlier this year.
According to footage obtained by the Daily Wire, a university official admitted on camera that DEI programs remained active and that the “DEI office has been changed in name.”
“The DEI office has been changed in name, and I think [it’s] probably going to be a little more taken down,” said Alex Winkowski, assistant dean and director of fraternity and sorority life. “But like the Multicultural Student Services unit is still here. It wasn’t called DEI. I mean that’s why it wasn’t really touched for a while. People didn’t know where to look.”
“People think everything that’s DEI is called DEI, which is bonkers to me,” he added.
When asked if the Multicultural Student Center serves as a “safe haven” for DEI, Winkowski replied, “Oh, absolutely. Oh, yeah.”
The footage, recorded in August, comes months after UVA’s Board of Visitors voted to eliminate the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Partnerships.
The Trump administration has pressured universities to remove DEI programs and return to merit-based systems. The Department of Justice launched multiple investigations into universities accused of discriminatory practices and demanded that UVA President Jim Ryan resign as part of a settlement. Ryan stepped down shortly afterward.
Despite the official vote to disband its DEI office, the university appeared to continue similar initiatives through other programs. The Multicultural Student Center, cited by Winkowski, is described as a space for students to “build community and encourage connection across diverse experiences.” It is one of several centers operated by Multicultural Student Services, which also oversees the LGBTQ Center, Latinx Student Center, Interfaith Student Center, and Asian American Student Center.
“The LGBTQ Center here is very, very supported by alumni, to the point where they looked at the alumni support here and scholarships and [found] that we give more money than Harvard does to LGBTQ students who go here,” Winkowski said in the video.
In a statement to the Daily Wire, university spokesman Brian Coy said Winkowski’s remarks “do not represent official University policies or positions.”
“Following the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Students for Fair Admissions case and the federal administration’s issuance of related guidance, the University developed its own guidance for UVA schools and units to make clear that UVA does not tolerate discrimination in any form and that all programs, events, and spaces must be not only open, but genuinely welcoming to all people, regardless of race or other characteristics,” Coy said. “As part of that effort, the University has renamed some spaces, programs, and events in an effort to make absolutely clear that they are open and welcoming to all people.”
“This hidden camera video was taken well before the University entered into an agreement with the Department of Justice to suspend multiple civil rights violations and the content captured does not relate in any way to that agreement,” the spokesman added. “The agreement in question suspends 5 Department of Justice investigations and commits the University to follow the DOJ’s guidance on U.S. civil rights laws, as long as they are consistent with judicial decisions. The University is committed to honoring that agreement.”
