University of Kentucky recruiter says DEI is “essential”– despite state ban
April 8, 2026
The University of Kentucky is still promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), even though state legislators passed House Bill 4 last year, imposing a statewide ban on DEI programs in public colleges and universities.
Schools and programs that are keeping DEI alive continue to rely on the excuse that their accreditation body’s standards require it. But, as several states are proving, these woke accreditation councils do not dictate state law and do not have a monopoly on program approval.
UK social work recruiter Maram Chaaban was recently caught admitting DEI’s presence in the program to Accuracy in Media’s (AIM) undercover investigator.
According to her, DEI is “essential” to the field of study.
“We’re in social work,” she said on hidden camera.
Chaaban confirmed that not only would faculty continue to include DEI in the social work curriculum, but it would make up a huge part of what students learn in the classroom. She made these statements after AIM’s investigator, posing as a prospective student, asked what role DEI would play in her student courses.
“There’s no restrictions” on what can be taught in social work classes, Chaaban explained.
Another UK staff member recently caught on AIM’s hidden camera also confirmed that DEI still features prominently in the classroom. “Even if it’s not explicitly said, it’s there, and it’s an important part of the curriculum,” said Justin Conder, a Department Manager Associate in the Department of Sociology.
UK is shamelessly flouting the law to ensure that DEI stays ingrained in higher education. Not one but two staff members have indicated on hidden camera that DEI is still very much steering the university’s programming.
Last year, Kentucky state legislators were able to override a veto by Democratic Governor Andy Beshear and enact a ban on DEI in public institutions of higher education. “DEI is costing our taxpayers millions of dollars and has largely been an embarrassing failure in our commonwealth,” State Rep. Vanessa Grossl said at that time. The federal government is also heavily anti-DEI under President Donald Trump.
Despite all of this, the University of Kentucky has sought to keep pushing DEI.
And they’re using a loophole in Kentucky’s law to do so. Although schools have scrubbed DEI from titles and offices, and supposedly rolled back its use in admissions, some departments are leaning on the fact that their accrediting bodies actually require DEI. In this case, the Council on Social Work Education mandates that DEI be taught as part of an accredited degree program.
These programs frequently claim that because they need DEI for CSWE’s accreditation, they are permitted to continue pushing it on students.
However, several states, such as Florida, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee, have taken steps to establish their own accreditation bodies that don’t require DEI.
Every state needs to follow these steps to make sure taxpayers aren’t beholden to the accreditation standards of the CSWE.
AIM isn’t letting pervasive DEI in defiance of state and federal law go unnoticed. These woke universities will continue to push their DEI agendas and force taxpayers to fund this divisive ideology, unless we hold them accountable.
Take action today by visiting DEIinKentucky.com to send one message to all relevant elected officials in Kentucky, demanding accountability and transparency.