Two Universities Hit With Civil Rights Complaint For Allegedly Continuing Illegal DEI Practices
- August 14, 2025
Jaryn Crouson, Daily Caller
Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT) filed a civil rights complaint against the University of Iowa (UIowa) and Iowa State University (ISU) on Thursday after videos surfaced of administrators at both schools claiming to have found ways to skirt anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) laws.
Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in May signed a law prohibiting the use of state funds for DEI offices and staff for public entities, including K-12 schools and higher education institutions, building on the executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January. The complaint, filed with the Department of Education (ED), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) and obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, alleges the Iowa Board of Regents has delayed implementing the new guidance and urges the federal government to investigate its compliance with the law.
“I write to you to alert you of an effort by officials from Iowa Board of Regents’ member schools, Iowa State University (ISU) and University of Iowa (Iowa), to continue their practice of imposing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) on their students, despite perceived efforts to end that practice,” the complaint reads. “[T]he evidence indicates that there is a pattern at Iowa Board of Regents schools to continue the status quo of imposing DEI values while creating an outward appearance of compliance, and that this behavior and associated attitude extend far beyond just a few individuals.”
A UIowa employee was recently caught on video admitting the school had “a strategy” to continue its DEI agenda, according to an undercover video recorded by Accuracy in Media (AIM).
“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,” Cassandra Gordon-Fletcher, a senior director in the Office of Access and Support, said in the video. “It’s not going away, we’re just reimagining how we’re doing it.”