Universities are quietly reshuffling diversity, equity and inclusion programs rather than ending them, and parents and activists say it’s time to pull the curtain back. This piece lays out how campuses are responding, where the real problems hide, and why a broad, no-nonsense approach is needed to stop schools from evading accountability.
“I look at… the responses to the Trump administration and the executive orders falling into three buckets,” Nicole Neily, founder and president of the nonpartisan grassroots organization Defending Education, told Fox News Digital about the continuation of DEI activities despite the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate it. That observation sets the frame: proud resisters, rebranders, and those who will comply in good faith.
Neily explained, “The first bucket are the proud resisters. I put Princeton, Harvard, schools like that in that category, where they’re just going to, you know, ‘hashtag resist’ and do their thing. The second bucket is, I think it’s the biggest category, and I think they’re the ones that are trying to put lipstick on a pig. They are renaming the departments. The DEI department is now the ‘belonging department.’ The coordinator, the DEI dean, is now compliance dean or something like that. But those people are doing the same damn thing and just trying to wait the Trump administration out.”
Across the country we see the same pattern: some elite schools double down on ideology, while a far larger group quietly repackages it. That second group is the real challenge for parents and lawmakers because rebranding makes enforcement harder and gives universities plausible deniability. The goal should be clear: prevent the substance of these programs from hiding behind new job titles and fresh mission statements.
“The third category are the schools that actually want to comply in good faith,” Neily told Fox News Digital. Many campus leaders are privately annoyed at the excesses of DEI and relieved for an opportunity to roll them back, but relief alone won’t fix the loopholes. If policymakers want meaningful change, they must press for transparency and audits that expose renamed programs and redirected funds.
Neily said the “second bucket” is the “biggest and most challenging category.” She described hearing panelists openly call for “inclusivity work” to continue because the federal focus is on a few high-profile targets and “they can’t sue us all.” That kind of admission shows intent and makes clear why enforcement must be systematic, not selective.
“To me, that demonstrates real mens rea, which is Latin for a guilty mind,” Neily said. Determining intent matters because institutions that deliberately conceal activities are gaming the system, and lawmakers should treat concealment as evidence of persistent policy, not a one-off mistake. A plain, strict approach to oversight would cut through the bureaucratic theater.
Defending Education recently urged elected officials to order audits of K-12 laws in all 50 states to ensure no legal loopholes allow DEI to continue unexamined. That kind of “whole of government” strategy is the only realistic way to stop administrators from whitewashing records or shifting blame. Parents deserve to know how taxpayer dollars and classroom priorities are being shaped.
“I think we’re at a moment where there is kind of a perfect storm taking place in academia. This incoming freshman class this year is the largest freshman class that American universities will ever have… Clearly, we have seen polling over the past couple years demonstrate a massive loss in public confidence in the institutions of higher education at a time when costs are through the roof, the return on investment for sending your child to some of these schools is horrible. So I think a lot of people are really rethinking, is this the correct track for me, period?” Neily said. That shifting sentiment gives reformers leverage if they use it well.
“We also have fewer international students coming in, thanks to the efforts of the Trump administration, and so I think what we’re gonna see over the next several years is a number of universities that actually start to close. And how do those schools differentiate themselves in the marketplace?” Neily said. Some state systems in the South are already moving to create alternatives to the current accreditation cartel, and that market pressure will force campuses to pick a lane.
Students are voting with their feet and choosing colleges that promise a traditional campus experience rather than constant ideological policing. Conservative parents and state leaders should keep pushing for enrollment caps, audits, and clear rules that prevent DEI from being smuggled back onto campus under new names. If administrators refuse to look in the mirror and change, policymakers should be ready to act decisively and use oversight to restore common sense to higher education.
Darnell Thompkins is a conservative opinion writer from Atlanta, GA, known for his insightful commentary on politics, culture, and community issues. With a passion for championing traditional values and personal responsibility, Darnell brings a thoughtful Southern perspective to the national conversation. His writing aims to inspire meaningful dialogue and advocate for policies that strengthen families and empower individuals.