Hoodline Highlights AIM Video Behind AG Action at UNT
April 11, 2026
A secretly recorded video has kicked off a fresh political fight in Denton, with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launching a formal investigation into the University of North Texas after a hidden-camera clip appeared to show a social work staffer describing how diversity, equity and inclusion content lives on in classes. Paxton is demanding records and has called for the staffer to be fired, while UNT says the employee is no longer on the payroll. The clash is the latest flashpoint in a wider statewide struggle over how public universities navigate a 2023 law that restricts institutional DEI efforts while still meeting accreditation rules.
Paxton’s demand and the investigation
According to a press release from the Texas Attorney General’s Office, Paxton has opened an official probe and sent a letter to the dean of UNT’s College of Public Affairs and Human Sciences. The letter seeks “an explanation of the claims,” copies of all DEI-related policies and guidance, details about accreditation, and all correspondence involving DEI. In the release, Paxton labeled the described conduct “calamitous” and added, “This should result in immediate termination.” His office said the inquiry was triggered by an online video that appears to show a staff member explaining how DEI-aligned material remains embedded in coursework.
The video that sparked it
The three-minute undercover recording, posted by Accuracy in Media, appears to feature Paige Falco, a field education coordinator, saying that DEI is “definitely still a focus” and describing how certain phrases can be stripped from course titles while the underlying content stays in place. After the clip surfaced on YouTube, several outlets picked it up, noting that the staffer pointed to national accreditation requirements as a reason some of the material remains in the curriculum. The video, paired with Paxton’s letter, has reignited arguments over how far universities can go in aligning with accreditors while staying inside the lines of state law.