Undercover Video Explains How Western Kentucky University Uses Loophole to Keep DEI in Curriculum
March 9, 2026
An administrator at Western Kentucky University (WKU) has admitted on hidden camera that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programming is still embedded in the university’s curriculum, despite a statewide ban on DEI in higher education.
Bailey Cooke, an Office Associate in the School of Social Work at WKU, made the admission while speaking to someone she believed was a prospective student. The individual was actually an undercover investigator with Accuracy in Media examining whether Kentucky universities are complying with the state’s DEI restrictions.
During the conversation, Cooke explained that several prerequisite courses for the program include DEI-related material.
“There are five prerequisite courses that are associated with our program,” Cooke said, including what she described as a “DEI course which can be from a lot of different choices.”
When the investigator expressed concern that DEI might not be allowed under Kentucky law, Cooke reassured her that the university will continue teaching DEI-related material because of accreditation requirements.
“We’re accredited by the CSWE, which is the Council on Social Work Education,” Cooke said. “If you go to a college that has a Social Work program that is accredited by the CSWE, yes — it’s in their curriculum standards that we teach about ADEI: antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion. That doesn’t have anything to do with what the government would like us to do.”
Cooke emphasized that the department intends to keep DEI in the curriculum regardless of state policy.
“We are literally required in order to maintain our accreditation,” she said. “So yes, that’s a big part of our curriculum here. Any program that is accredited by them has to teach these things.”
Kentucky’s DEI ban currently contains a loophole allowing some DEI-related material to remain within the academic curriculum so that universities can maintain their accreditation. However, several states — including Florida, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee — have begun establishing alternative accreditation systems designed to remove ideological DEI requirements from higher education programs.
Kentucky has not yet taken that step.
Cooke admittedthat the department intends to continue teaching DEI until forced to change.
“We are very adamant on maintaining that and keeping that a thing,” she said. “Until we hear from CSWE that we need to do otherwise, we will be keeping that.”
She added that the situation between state law and accreditation standards is “super messy,” but said the university will continue following the accreditor rather than state policymakers.
“It’s in our standards,” Cooke said. “We have to teach our students that in order to give them an accredited social work degree and we will continue to do so until we are directed not to.”
Take action now by visiting DEIinKentucky.com where you can send one message that goes directly to all of the relevant officials. No taxpayer should be forced to fund ideological DEI programs that openly defy the intent of state law.