Under Stuart Bell’s Leadership, University of Alabama DEI Official Bragged About Finding “Holes” in State Ban
June 8, 2026
The University of Alabama was a flagship for DEI under President Stuart Bell, who is now the finalist to become the next president of the University of Florida. Alabama lawmakers restricted DEI activities, but undercover footage suggests Bell’s staff focused on finding ways to continue them.
Despite Alabama’s ban on taxpayer-funded Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, an Accuracy in Media undercover investigation has uncovered a University of Alabama administrator openly discussing ways to work around the law and preserve progressive initiatives on campus.
An Accuracy in Media journalist met with Shemaiah Kenon, Assistant Director of the Intercultural Center. Kenon described a drag queen event previously hosted on campus.
“We actually did, like, an event a long time ago, before DEI became a thing, for drag queens. It was so dope.”
Asked whether similar events could still take place under Alabama’s DEI restrictions, Kenon explained what he viewed as a legal workaround.
“We probably won’t, but a student organization can,” Kenon said. “Basically they apply for funding… if you donate the funds, you can do it. Like the legal ways around it. I don’t know if our state reps were really aware of that.”
Kenon says that she had identified weaknesses in the legislation shortly after it was proposed.
“When I read the draft of the bill, people were calling me like, ‘This is blasphemy.’ I said it’s actually stupid because I found some holes.”
According to Kenon, university employees and allies quickly shifted their focus toward preserving DEI-related programming despite the state’s efforts.
“It was funny because when we met with the state legislator, anybody could have logged on as an affiliate with UA… like yeah, go ahead, it’s ways around this, we can work through this.”
Kenon repeatedly emphasized what he described as widespread progressive support among University of Alabama faculty and staff.
“Most of our faculty and staff are progressive. It’s always the ones you least likely expect to be progressive.”
The administrator also described concerns among university employees about maintaining LGBTQ-focused programming and services after the law’s passage.
“Everyone’s biggest thing honestly was about LGBTQ+ students and resources and access that they can have.”
“We’re so fortunate, like we still can put our pronouns on our name tags, like my email signatures. And so we just did it.”
Perhaps most significantly, Kenon suggested that faculty members were receiving guidance on how to continue incorporating DEI principles into their classrooms despite the policy changes.
“They been on a couple trainings, webinars on how to continue to incorporate the inclusivity piece in there as well as their classroom settings.”
For Alabama taxpayers and lawmakers who believed DEI had been removed from public universities, these comments tell a different story. Now, as Stuart Bell seeks the presidency of the University of Florida, Floridians should examine the culture that flourished under his leadership in Alabama—and ask whether they want the same approach imported into their university system.
Take action at SaveUF.com, where you can send one message which goes to each of the trustees of the University of Florida. It will also go to Alabama’s Attorney General.