Christian University Rebranding Dei To Evade Trump Order, Enroll Illegals, Tennessee Rep Says

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., is demanding an investigation into Belmont University aft leaked recordings of a assemblage module personnel admitting nan schoolhouse has maintained its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives but "just change[d] connected really we talk astir it" contempt national directives to extremity nan programs deemed by galore to beryllium discriminatory.

In undercover recordings, nan aforesaid charismatic tin beryllium heard admitting nan schoolhouse besides enrolls illegal immigrants and hides that accusation from outer entities, which Ogles suggested could break authorities rule against knowingly harboring forbidden aliens for profit. 

"Belmont University claims to beryllium a Christian institution grounded successful Biblical principles, but its management is injecting anti-gospel DEI ideology into its curriculum," Ogles told Fox News Digital. 

"President Trump has rightly demanded that colleges and universities dismantle nan DEI cartel aliases suffer national funding. Belmont officials, however, person been caught connected camera bragging astir their ‘clever’ strategy to rebrand DEI and proceed pushing nan aforesaid extremist schedule nether a caller name."

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Tennessee GOP Rep. Andy Ogles is calling for an investigation into Belmont University aft an undercover signaling showed a schoolhouse charismatic admitting nan assemblage was continuing DEI utilizing caller terminology to forestall backlash.  (Getty Images)

Belmont is conscionable 1 of nan latest schools to travel nether occurrence for allegedly trying to skirt national backing repercussions by re-branding DEI programs and policies. An investigation successful April by blimpish parental authorities group Defending Education recovered that contempt nan president's executive directives, there are still 383 "currently active" DEI offices and programs pinch 243 universities maintaining institution-wide DEI offices aliases programming. 

In summation to search those DEI offices and programs that are still active, nan group's investigation besides highlighted dozens of universities that person taken steps to rebrand aliases reorganize their DEI efforts arsenic opposed to shutting them down like others person done.   

Ogles pointed to Belmont's Office of Hope, Unity and Belonging (HUB), which engulfed nan university's DEI efforts successful 2022, arsenic an illustration of really nan schoolhouse has rebranded its DEI efforts. 

"The HUB is hope, unity and belonging. That's DEI. Let's beryllium real," Jozef Lukey, Belmont's adjunct head of student occurrence and flourishing, said successful an undercover signaling cited by Ogles. "We ever effort to conscionable accommodate to what's happening astir us. But that doesn't mean, like, what we're focusing connected wholly stops. We conscionable changed nan terminology and nan connection that we support moving forward.

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"We're ever going to support doing what we're doing. The activity ne'er stops. We conscionable alteration connected really we talk astir it."

Belmont University hosted a statesmanlike statement successful 2020. (Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images)

After Ogles' nationalist complaints, his agency said, module and students person reached retired to attest to nan school's ongoing DEI initiatives. One professor allegedly shared a mandatory shape for module members requesting to revise aliases propose a caller course, which requires a "Diversity Impact Statement" outlining really nan people supports "historically underrepresented populations."

Another source, according to Ogles' office, shared screenshots of an email concatenation showing Belmont intends to support its module DEI committee for nan adjacent world year.

Belmont has insisted attempts to represent nan schoolhouse arsenic having a "shadow operation" are wholly inaccurate. 

"We are profoundly saddened that these videos represent Belmont arsenic having a 'shadow operation,' arsenic thing could beryllium further from nan truth. It’s besides disappointing that Rep. Ogles and others comprehend specified an attack arsenic being typical of Belmont University’s characteristic and values," nan assemblage told section outlet Fox 17.

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In a connection to Fox News Digital, nan schoolhouse maintained it is "in compliance pinch national laws." 

"We are alert of comments from authorities officials and support that nan assemblage is successful compliance pinch national laws," a assemblage spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "We look guardant to moving together pinch nan Tennessee delegation to reside immoderate concerns astir ineligible compliance."

President Donald Trump took steps soon aft entering office, including an executive bid demanding colleges and universities extremity "discriminatory" DEI programs aliases consequence losing their national funding. (Getty Images)

In an email allegedly sent to nan Belmont University community, assemblage President L. Gregory Jones doubled down connected nan school's compliance pinch national laws and based on HUB was established to "inspire nan field organization to afloat unrecorded successful ray of Christ's resurrection," adding it is not a DEI agency moreover though nan university's website described it for illustration that erstwhile it was established successful 2022. The email included references to counseling services for group who whitethorn beryllium emotion uncomfortable arsenic a consequence of nan allegations nan schoolhouse is facing.

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The schoolhouse did not respond to allegations from Ogles and others that nan schoolhouse is admitting and harboring forbidden immigrants for profit. 

"We decidedly person to navigate very cautiously and conscionable cautiously conscionable because we conscionable don't ever know, particularly pinch for illustration nan ICE raids that are happening successful nan metropolis that impacts our campus," Lukey was caught saying successful nan undercover recording.

"We do person undocumented students here. Yeah. Oh, yeah. We don't pass to anybody externally who's undocumented, who isn't. And, so, like, yes, we cognize who it is. Faculty don't really know. How could they? Unless it's indicated successful nan strategy somewhere."

According to Ogles, specified a move could perchance break Tennesee's Senate Bill 392, which was passed precocious and criminalizes 501(c)(3) institutions, known colloquially arsenic nonprofits, for harboring forbidden aliens for profit.