A video was published questioning Utah Tech University’s compliance with DEI initiatives, which can affect the university’s state funding.
Accuracy in Media is the independent media group that released the video. In it, Adam Guillette, the president of the organization, confronted Drusilla Bottoms, assistant dean of students and director of the Student Resource Center, on reorganizing the diversity, equity and inclusion policy in the school. An undercover individual recorded Bottoms explaining how the school has adapted to the changes with DEI laws.
With the Accuracy in Media group, the description of their goal is listed to “expose corruption and hold bad public policy actors accountable.”
Therefore, the purpose of the video was to expose Utah Tech for infringing the law, which could lead to the loss of state funding if enough evidence is presented. AIM has been going to other universities trying to expose flaws or behavior that doesn’t comply with state or federal law.
Another one of AIM’s most recent investigations is focused on the University of Utah, where they recorded the U’s education coordinator talking about the institution’s practice of DEI.
In the undercover video for Utah Tech, Bottoms was recorded saying that the practice of DEI was reorganized and made different.
“We were really fortunate because some places just fired people and we didn’t do that,” Bottoms said in the recording. “We just kind of realigned what we do.”
She also explained changes made in management.
“What [the university] did is they resolved our Center for Inclusion and Belonging, but we just kind of reorganized it; we didn’t really get rid of anything,” Bottoms said.
She said the organization that used to be the Center for Inclusion and Belonging is now Clubs and Belonging, which Mike Nelson is in charge of.
“They focus on clubs and then also all of the inclusion services and belonging,” Bottoms said.
When confronted by Guillette about what she said, Bottoms said the context of the conversation revolved around student support services and denied any implications of the university doing equity work.
The House Bill 261, equal opportunity initiatives, restricts the university from promoting differential treatment in students, staff or faculty based on personal identity characteristics.
One of the first noticeable changes seen at Utah Tech was the Center for Inclusion and Belonging closing down.
Nelson gave his input on the situation from his position as the director of student belonging, saying the state law required an area to be closed down, so things had to be restructured.
Nelson said: “The bill is to allow all students equal access to opportunities, which is something that we have done anyways.”
He said the law has affected clubs on campus since they are student-run and flourish with peer-to-peer support. One of those clubs was the LGBTQ+ Student Organization, which cannot receive enough resources on campus to support them because of this new policy.
So, Nelson said non-profit organizations like Encircle, Equality Utah and Pride of Southern Utah had to step up and support students in a way that the university isn’t legally allowed to anymore.
”In the past, [our department] was able to help them,” Nelson said. “Now it’s like, if you want to do it, you’ve got to do it on your own.”
Pertaining to the video, Nelson said “things can be taken out of context or twisted and turned,” while also pointing out that the undercover video was filmed a year ago.
“We don’t do DEI; things had to be reorganized to comply with state law. And I think that’s where the twist comes in,” Nelson said. “By default, reorganizing is changing and doing something different.”
He said the university still tries to help all students as much as the law allows them to.
“The simple fact is, if you are looking at what the law says: did we have to reorganize?” Nelson said. “Yes. So we did it, and we are in compliance with the state law.”
