University Of Tennessee Department Head Boasts Of DEI Flying Under The Radar

The University of Tennessee – Knoxville, might not have a diversity, equity, and inclusion office anymore, but it’s still pushing DEI goals with the same agenda, the same policies and the same people implementing them under a new name.  The “under the radar” gameplan was revealed by a UT  department head in a video obtained and shared by The Daily Wire. 

Based upon the large amount of DEI content that remains on the LinkedIn bios of key University leadership and the programs continuing to reference campus  DEI efforts, the “under the radar” scheme is actually hiding in plain sight.

Casey A. Barrio Minton, Professor and Department Head of Counselor Education, was caught on camera last month saying that Tennessee’s “Access and Engagement” office, which used to be called the “Diversity and Inclusion” office, isn’t “a whole lot different.” 

“They practice DEI?” Barrio Minton was asked in the video.

“They do,” she replied, “And they do many of the same things.” 

“I haven’t noticed a big shift in the programming. I haven’t noticed a big shift of climate on campus beyond trying to ride the waves,” Barrio Minton added. It certainly appears that she was completely honest and truthful about what’s actually taking place at UT.

With similar admissions being caught on tape by another University of Tennessee, official, and officials at Belmont University and Vanderbilt University, it is clear that universities across Tennessee not only suffer from thinly disguised DEI  programs, they also suffer from an epidemic of loose lips.

President Donald Trump executed an Executive Order earlier this year calling DEI policies “illegal” and stating: “It is the policy of the United States to protect the civil rights of all Americans and to promote individual initiative, excellence, and hard work.” Violations can lead to federal funding being reduced or eliminated.

Even though Barrio Minton admitted that the University of Tennessee continues to push DEI, she argued that the school is compliant with federal law because they focus on educating students rather than punishing those who violate the DEI directives.

But an example of how Tennessee continues to focus on DEI despite the laws and regulations prohibiting it, Barrio Minton pointed to the school recently putting in “all-inclusive restrooms,” called “All Vol” restrooms — a reference to the school’s mascot, the Volunteers — for trans-identifying students to use. 

“The inclusive restrooms are ‘All Vol’ restrooms, like a single stall, inclusive, accessible restroom,” she said. These are intended to be more inclusive for trans students, Barrio Minton explained.

In an attempt to clarify that the UT office of Access and Engagement is not simply DEI under a new name, UT President Randy Boyd has issued a letter stating:  “Let me be clear: access and engagement is not DEI in disguise. All our work must and will remain fully compliant with state and federal law.” 

Boyd added that he has launched an independent review of the Access and Engagement office’s “activities across the UT system” to ensure compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.

Boyd should start his investigation with those who work in DEI, uhm, Access and Engagement roles at UT. They are the exact same people who were holding those positions and doing that work previously, both at UT and in their prior academic positions.

For example, Jazmine Kelley, the head of Access and Engagement for the UT College of Communications and Information, was hired away from the University of Mississippi, where she served as the Director of Diversity Education and Strategic Initiatives for nearly two years. Her bio on LinkedIn continues to define her duties at UT as a consultant to support DEI efforts at the University! 

Jeremy Kirk is the Assistant Dean for Access and Engagement at the Tickle College of Engineering  at the University of Tennessee. His previous roles at Lone Star College in Texas Auburn University included direct oversight of DEI programs. 

Tyvi Small, according to his LinkedIn background, served as  coordinator of diversity initiatives for the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee for six years. He is now  the Vice Chancellor for Access and Engagement, the new title for DEI at the University of Tennessee. Although his title has changed recently, his LinkedIn profile still details his responsibility as a champion of DEI on campus. He specifically notes his duties as including educating the campus community on matters “associated with diversity and inclusion”. He has had the same role for six years. They’ve just changed the title, but not the focus, the intent and the advocacy that drives him in his role. 

If the University of Tennessee is truly committed to the focus and implementation of DEI initiatives on campus, it must start by identifying and removing those who have been so committed to these programs in the past and presumably remain just as committed today.

Personnel is policy. When the University of Tennessee fires a head coach in any sport for poor performance and failing to achieve results, assistant coaches, who were an integral part of that operation are never retained. If the University is serious about ending DEI initiatives, it makes no sense to keep the same people on board who’ve been operating them for years.

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Steve Gill is the Publisher of TriStar Daily and is a graduate from the University of Tennessee at both undergraduate and law school levels.