UK employee in video about DEI that sparked GOP questioning remains on staff
The University of Kentucky employee who was questioned about the use of diversity, equity and inclusion in curriculum by a conservative media watchdog group still works for the university, a spokesperson said Friday.
A viral video shared earlier this week by Accuracy in Media shows a UK employee speaking with someone he believed was a prospective student about if DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — is part of the sociology department’s curriculum. Justin Conder, an administrative assistant in the department, is shown saying that DEI is “there, and it’s an important part of the curriculum,” which can be found in course syllabi.
Conder’s employment status is “active staff assignment,” UK spokesperson Whitney Siddiqi said.
DEI was banned on college campuses in Kentucky last year under House Bill 4. The law required all public universities and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System to eliminate and defund all DEI initiatives.
However, the law does not apply to the use of DEI in “academic course content or instruction.”
At a legislative subcommittee meeting in Frankfort on Thursday, UK President Eli Capilouto was questioned by Rep. Shane Baker, R-Somerset, about the university’s compliance with HB 4 after the video of Conder gained attention online.
“Anytime we have learned in any kind of way of a report of something that is inconsistent with that, we address it,” Capilouto said. “I learned of that last night. I can assure you, we will look into it, as we’ve done, and we’ve had reports in the past, but we worked extensively after that bill was passed to be in full compliance.”
UK closed its Office for Institutional Diversity in August 2024, after legislators introduced a bill similar to HB4 that did not pass in 2024.
“To be clear, the university fully complies with House Bill 4, which protects the academic freedom of faculty, students and student organizations and exempts academic course content or instruction,” said Jay Blanton, UK spokesperson, in a statement.
“We are not aware of any issues with respect to curriculum and HB 4 at this time. If we become aware of issues, we will immediately address them according to the law and our policies. We took a number of proactive steps in preparation for state-level changes, beginning in spring 2024, as well as more recent steps to comply with federal law and directives.”
The university has adopted a neutrality policy, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of an individual’s political or social viewpoint and promotes intellectual diversity within the institute.” Mandatory DEI trainings and diversity statements were also eliminated at UK.
“We clearly take these legal obligations seriously and continue to conduct regular reviews to ensure consistent implementation across an institution as expansive as the university,” Blanton said.
Last year, a UK employee was placed on paid administrative leave for a comment made after the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. Brad Van Hook, who worked as UK’s key shop manager, made a public comment on a WKYT social media post, which then went viral after an account on X called Libs of TikTok highlighted the remark in a post.
“I have never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great satisfaction,” he wrote, paraphrasing a quote from American lawyer and civil rights advocate Clarence Darrow.
Van Hook returned to work at UK after a six-week investigation by the university.