Undercover video from Accuracy in Media exposes former Western Carolina University employee defying systemwide DEI ban
A video released recently by Accuracy in Media shows a Western Carolina University administrator saying school officials embed diversity, equity and inclusion in campus programs despite a systemwide ban on the ideology.
The nearly five-minute edited video shows WCU’s Director of Institutional Assessment Karen Price saying “we’re trying to embed that kind of diversity, equity, inclusiveness across every area … it shouldn’t just be an office or a figurehead.”
After saying that if it’s embedded everywhere, it cannot be legislated out, she went on to say that DEI is still actively practiced, but under disguise.
“The work is still occurring very much here at Western, you just might see it called different things,” she said.
She made the comments despite the University of North Carolina Board of Governors banning DEI offices and programs systemwide last year.
The undercover video was taken by affiliates of Accuracy in Media, a watchdog activism group. It is unclear who Price thought she was speaking to in the video.
This is the third such undercover video the group has released in recent weeks targeting North Carolina universities.
“If you’re looking for an outward DEI position, it’s not going to happen,” a University of North Carolina Charlotte official was caught saying in another recently released video. “But if you are interested in doing work that is covert, there are opportunities.”
In a third undercover video, an administrator at UNC Asheville said regarding DEI work she has got to “keep it quiet” and responded that “I love breaking rules” when asked if she keeps doing it on the “down-low.”
Two weeks after the incident, WCU posted a job listing for Price’s position, and her name appears removed from the directory.
Julia Duvall, communications manager for the university, told The College Fix in an email: “The director of institutional assessment, featured in the video, has no role in policy or compliance decisions and was not authorized to speak on behalf of the university. As of mid-April, Dr. Price is no longer employed at WCU.”
The other two UNC administrators recorded in the videos from the Asheville and Charlotte campuses are also no longer employed, with officials there giving similar statements to the media about their departures.
AIM’s President Adam Guillette previously told The Fix the videos were filmed during the 2024-25 school year and that the officials in question thought they were speaking to “a fellow radical.”
In the WCU video, it shows Guillette visit the campus following the investigation, trying to engage with the university provost and other administrators about the video’s content. They declined comment.
A recent College Fix survey chronicled 90 universities across the nation that have renamed, revamped or rebranded their DEI offices.
Guillette said there’s more undercover videos to come.
“Accuracy in Media is targeting radicals in higher education across the country. … It’s clear that higher education has been captured by ideological radicals. These universities need major reform, starting with their leadership,” he told The College Fix via email.
WCU told The Fix it remains in compliance with the new regulations.
“WCU dissolved its diversity, equity, and inclusion office in compliance with UNC Policy directives,” Duvall said, but added WCU is conducting reviews to ensure that staff and students understand the policy.
“Campus leadership is working to ensure that employees understand and follow all relevant policies and laws and is conducting a thorough review of our student support services to ensure there is a consistent understanding of policy compliance,” she said.
MORE: Nearly 90 universities have rebranded their DEI offices
IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: A WCU official discusses embedding DEI / Accuracy in Media YouTube video screenshot