Two Universities Face Civil Rights Complaint For Allegedly Continuing Illegal DEI Practices
- August 15, 2025
Kevin Parker, Spreely News
Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT) has taken a bold step by filing a civil rights complaint against the University of Iowa (UIowa) and Iowa State University (ISU). This action comes on the heels of videos that have surfaced showing administrators from both schools discussing ways to circumvent anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) laws. These developments follow the signing of a law by Republican Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, which prohibits the use of state funds for DEI offices and staff.
The complaint, lodged with the Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Justice, was obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. It claims that the Iowa Board of Regents is dragging its feet in implementing the new guidelines. The complaint urges the federal government to investigate whether these universities are adhering to the law.
A revealing video captures a UIowa employee admitting that the school has “a strategy” to continue advancing its DEI agenda. “Our president said it’s important to us but we just need to reimagine it a certain way and abide by the rules and the law,” said Cassandra Gordon-Fletcher, a senior director at the Office of Access and Support. She added, “It’s not going away, we’re just reimagining how we’re doing it.”
A spokesperson for UIowa responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation, dismissing the video as “out-of-date and inaccurate.” The spokesperson assured that the university “is in full compliance with state and federal law as well as all Iowa Board of Regents directives.” They also mentioned that Gordon-Fletcher’s position was eliminated in March.