Ken Paxton Opens Investigation into University of North Texas Over DEI Practices

Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) announced Thursday that he has opened a formal investigation into the University of North Texas (UNT), alleging the school may continue to teach Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) concepts in violation of state law.

The investigation was triggered by a video that began circulating online featuring a Field Education Coordinator from UNT's Social Work Department.

The footage, reportedly captured by an undercover investigator, shows the staff member describing how DEI content is still being taught in classes, just without using the explicit DEI terminology that Texas law prohibits.

The employee also appears to suggest that university staff have found ways to work around the state's restrictions.

AG Paxton moved quickly after the video surfaced, sending a formal letter to the Dean of the College of Public Affairs and Human Sciences demanding answers.

In it, he requested a full accounting of UNT's compliance with state law, copies of all DEI-related policies and guidance, details regarding DEI in accreditation standards, and internal correspondence between university leadership and staff on the subject.

"The DEI ideology has been a calamitous way that radical leftists have pushed a woke agenda in our educational institutions," Paxton said. "Texas law is clear that these DEI policies have no place in our state-funded institutions."

Issuing a Termination

Paxton also called for the termination of the staff member featured in the video, saying the employee's comments amounted to an open acknowledgment of a violation of state law.

"This should result in immediate termination," he said. "Texas deserves better than a UNT leadership that systematically allows the worst elements of the radical Left to run its campus."

This is not the first time Paxton has set his sights on UNT. Last year, his office investigated the university after it declined to take disciplinary action against students who allegedly celebrated threats of violence and made comments about prominent conservative figures.

Paxton also took to social media to announce the investigation, writing on X that he was "calling for the firing of a woke staff member who bragged about illegal teachings."

UNT has not yet issued a public response.