‘Not called that’: How the University of Missouri is maintaining DEI
August 25, 2026
Across the country, public institutions are doing everything they can to preserve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, even in defiance of state laws.
That’s true for the University of Missouri in Kansas City, where administrators say DEI programming is up and running, with slight modifications.
“I’m not saying the work isn’t being done, but we don’t have a central office on the campus. Do you see what I mean?” Kimberly Johnson, a Senior Program Manager of Student Support Services for Multicultural Student Affairs, told Accuracy in Media’s investigative journalist.
On AIM’s hidden camera, she explained, “it’s not like it’s not being done, but it’s not called that.”
Johnson cited President Trump’s administration as the reason for this.
Over in the Office of Student Involvement, Student Support Services Graduate Assistant Celeste Michael revealed, “Full disclosure, we’re one of the only LGBTQ offices at a university within the area. Like all the other big universities around us don’t have one, so we’re kind of one of the only ones.”
Michael sat in front of a desk with the sign “Rainbow Lounge.”
As for potential threats to university funding due to its DEI persistence, Michael said, “We are kind of taking it day by day and seeing what we can do and continuing to fight for our programs to exist on our campus.”
“We had to change some of the wording for our stuff so that our programs and services are open to anyone and everyone.”
Last year, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed an executive order banning DEI in state agencies.
“Missourians deserve a government that treats all individuals equally, without preferential treatment or discrimination based on immutable characteristics,” he said at the time. “Our state agencies must operate under a framework that ensures fairness, equal opportunity, and merit-based decision-making. This order reaffirms Missouri’s commitment to a constitutional, color-blind approach that serves all citizens fairly.”
But that order didn’t touch universities.
To combat similar stubborn woke warriors, both North Carolina and Kansas recently passed laws to strengthen their DEI bans.
Missouri must do the same to stop secretive DEI programs from operating at public universities.
Visit SaveMissouriStudents.com now to send one convenient message to all relevant officials. It’s time to shut down DEI in Missouri for good.