Weekly Briefing: Conservative website records former DEI staffers in Texas. Here's what happened next.

One staff member said you had to be "creative." She was suspended from her position. ADVERTISEMENT [Weekly Briefing Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. Former DEI staffers secretly recorded by conservative website A director of student belonging at the University of Texas at Tyler was secretly recorded by an undercover reporter from Accuracy in Media, a right-wing news group. Days after the video was posted online, the university suspended her while it investigated the recording. Tarecka Payne was adjusting to how her job had shifted under a new state law banning diversity, equity, and inclusion work. When asked by the reporter secretly filming, “There’s really no ways of, like, doing the DEI work?,” Payne says, “No, you can still do it. You just have to be … creative.” Accuracy in Media said it had used hidden cameras and undercover reporters posing as recent college graduates to talk to employees at two dozen public colleges across Texas. Administrators on other campuses said they were looking into comments their staff members had made to Accuracy in Media. In an interview with The Chronicle, Adam Guillette, the group’s president, said, “We found, shockingly, that some universities, begrudgingly, were adhering to the law.” The video Last month Accuracy in Media posted a [seven-minute video]( that claims to show public-college employees in Texas “bragging” about doing DEI work and calling it something else. According to her LinkedIn profile, Payne’s earlier title appears to have been director of student diversity and inclusion. Now, as director of student belonging, she’s one of 20 employees listed in UT-Tyler’s [department of student engagement]( which supports programs that “meet the needs of a growing student population.” In the video a woman pretending to be a DEI supporter tells Payne she is glad she was “smart enough” to find loopholes in the law. She keeps her questions vague and does not define what she means by “DEI.” When asked how many times the university changed the name of the DEI office, Payne holds up three fingers, saying “officially twice.” The video has created the impression that Texas’ public colleges are trying to skirt the new law. Advocates of DEI in other states are worried about how groups that oppose diversity and inclusion work can advance their narrative that DEI is a radical concept that must end. Changes in state policy Senate Bill 17, the Texas law that [bans all DEI offices, programs, and training at public colleges]( was signed in June 2023 by Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican. The law states that DEI offices at public colleges had to be eliminated by January 1, and bars programs or activities designated for specific races, ethnicities, gender identities, and sexual orientations. Diversity training and diversity statements are also prohibited. At public colleges in Texas and Florida, where similar legislation was enacted, most people who did diversity, equity, and inclusion work, like Payne, remain employed at their institutions, but have moved into new or rebranded offices that focus on student belonging, community engagement, and campus access. The reaction Brandon Creighton, a Republican state senator and the author of SB 17, [warned colleges]( of the law’s strict enforcement provisions. Colleges that don’t persuade an auditor that they’ve complied with the law could have their state funds frozen. They are also required to discipline employees who violate the law with penalties up to and including termination. Meanwhile, some student-support staff members are anxious about their future and how their jobs may be interpreted as breaking the law. [Read our Katherine Mangan’s full story here](. ADVERTISEMENT NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. Lagniappe - Read. California has a new $20 minimum wage. Why is Panera Bread exempt from the policy? Hint: [There’s a legal carve-out]( that benefits a gubernatorial donor. (Bloomberg) - Listen. Finally, [a podcast episode]( that explains what’s going on with scam text messages. You may have received one. They come from an unknown number and ask you how you’re doing. (Search Engine) - Watch. This Sunday is the 96th Academy Awards show. Here’s a funny and [“honest” trailer]( of all the best-picture nominees. It’s a big night for me. 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