Christian university rebranding DEI to evade Trump order, enroll illegals, Tennessee rep says

Rep Andy Ogles R-Tenn is demanding an examination into Belmont University after leaked recordings of a university faculty member admitting the school has maintained its diversity equity and inclusion DEI initiatives but just change d on how we talk about it despite federal directives to end the programs deemed by multiple to be discriminatory In undercover recordings the same official can be heard admitting the school also enrolls illegal immigrants and hides that information from external entities which Ogles suggested could violate state law against knowingly harboring illegal aliens for profit Belmont University maintains to be a Christian institution grounded in Biblical principles but its administration is injecting anti-gospel DEI ideology into its curriculum Ogles recounted Fox News Digital President Trump has rightly demanded that colleges and universities dismantle the DEI cartel or lose federal funding Belmont representatives however have been caught on camera bragging about their clever scheme to rebrand DEI and continue pushing the same radical agenda under a new name LOVE CURRENT RULES RED STATE DEAN OUSTED AFTER ADMITTING ON HIDDEN CAM SHE WAS SECRETLY PUSHING DEIBelmont is just one of the latest schools to come under fire for allegedly trying to skirt federal funding repercussions by re-branding DEI programs and policies An probe in April by conservative parental rights group Defending Schooling discovered that despite the president's executive directives there are still as of now current DEI offices and programs with universities maintaining institution-wide DEI offices or offerings In addition to tracking those DEI offices and programs that are still current the group's scrutiny also highlighted dozens of universities that have taken moves to rebrand or reorganize their DEI efforts as opposed to shutting them down like others have done Ogles pointed to Belmont's Office of Hope Unity and Belonging HUB which engulfed the university's DEI efforts in as an example of how the school has rebranded its DEI efforts The HUB is hope unity and belonging That's DEI Let's be real Jozef Lukey Belmont's assistant director of pupil success and flourishing stated in an undercover recording cited by Ogles We consistently try to just adapt to what's happening around us But that doesn't mean like what we're focusing on thoroughly stops We just changed the terminology and the language that we keep moving forward MAJOR UNIVERSITY ANATOMICAL CENTER ACCUSED OF HIDING DEI PROGRAMS INFLUENTIAL SENATOR CALLS THEM OUT We're inevitably going to keep doing what we're doing The work never stops We just change on how we talk about it After Ogles' general complaints his office reported faculty and students have reached out to attest to the school's ongoing DEI initiatives One professor allegedly shared a mandatory form for faculty members requesting to revise or propose a new syllabus which requires a Diversity Impact Announcement outlining how the unit supports historically underrepresented populations Another source according to Ogles' office shared screenshots of an email chain showing Belmont intends to keep its faculty DEI committee for the next academic year Belmont has insisted attempts to portray the school as having a shadow operation are wholly inaccurate We are deeply saddened that these videos portray Belmont as having a 'shadow operation ' as nothing could be further from the truth It s also disappointing that Rep Ogles and others perceive such an approach as being representative of Belmont University s character and values the university described local outlet Fox UNEARTHED CHAT SHEDS LIGHT ON COZY TIES BETWEEN JUDGES CIRCUMSTANCES ACTIVISTS RAISING ETHICAL CONCERNS In a comment to Fox News Digital the school maintained it is in compliance with federal laws We are aware of comments from governing body personnel and maintain that the university is in compliance with federal laws a university spokesperson advised Fox News Digital We look forward to working together with the Tennessee delegation to address any concerns about legal compliance In an email allegedly sent to the Belmont University neighborhood university President L Gregory Jones doubled down on the school's compliance with federal laws and argued HUB was established to inspire the campus region to fully live in light of Christ's resurrection adding it is not a DEI office even though the university's website described it like that when it was established in The email included references to counseling services for people who may be feeling uncomfortable as a effect of the charges the school is facing The school did not respond to charges from Ogles and others that the school is admitting and harboring illegal immigrants for profit We definitely have to deal with very meticulously and just cautiously just because we just don't ever know especially with like the ICE raids that are happening in the city that impacts our campus Lukey was caught saying in the undercover recording We do have undocumented students here Yeah Oh yeah We don't communicate to anybody externally who's undocumented who isn't And so like yes we know who it is Faculty don't really know How could they Unless it's indicated in the system somewhere According to Ogles such a move could potentially violate Tennesee's Senate Bill which was passed in the past few days and criminalizes c institutions known colloquially as nonprofits for harboring illegal aliens for profit