DEI is “baked right in” to social work program at University of Toledo, Ohio, undercover video reveals
March 25, 2026
At the University of Toledo, Accuracy in Media captured two administrators on undercover video describing how the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) curriculum remains embedded in university programming, despite state and federal bans prohibiting it.
The video footage features Meredith Rinna, an assistant lecturer in the university’s social work program, and Megan Petra, an assistant professor in the same department. Both are seen speaking with an Accuracy in Media investigator posing as a prospective student.
When asked directly whether DEI had been removed from the curriculum, Rinna responded unequivocally: “No, 100% absolutely not.”
The investigator followed up, asking, “So basically the name changed, but the mission is still there?”
“…the mission is still there, yeah,” Rinna confirmed.
According to Rinna, DEI remains in place due to accreditation requirements tied to the social work program.
“That’s part of our competencies. Competency three is ADEI—antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion—and it’s baked into our social work practice. Per accreditation, we can’t omit that,” she said.
Petra added that, for now, the core instructional approach has not fundamentally changed.
“So, can we promise that they won’t do something different that will be harder to adapt to in the future? No, we cannot promise that. As it stands right now, we have the freedom to teach as we have,” Petra said.
When the investigator pressed further—“So, it hasn’t changed?”—Petra responded, “No, no, it hasn’t changed. What has changed is just our ability to offer CEU [Continuing Education Units] or to offer extracurricular.”
Rinna also described shifts in names, noting that while titles have changed, the underlying mission remains the same.
“The Office of Multicultural Student Success was an umbrella office that served various communities of color and LGBTQ groups. Now it’s CASE [the Center for Advocacy and Student Experience],” she said.
She pointed to additional examples, including the Catharine S. Eberly Center for Student Experience.
“You know, like Eberly is still there. They’re not the Women’s Center anymore—it’s focused on everybody. It’s just called Eberly now. So they’re shifting their missions and changing so it’s still looking at inclusivity, but I don’t know if they’re even calling it inclusivity. It’s ‘belonging’. I think the new word now is ‘belonging’,” Rinna said.
If Toledo was complying with Ohio law, they wouldn’t need to change terms. Legal compliance never requires deception.
Take action now by visiting DEIinOhio.com to send a message directly to the university’s trustees and the attorney general. No Ohio taxpayer should be required to fund DEI initiatives in education.