'Love breaking the rules': Red state dean ousted after admitting on hidden cam she was secretly pushing DEI

Fox News

03-06-2025

FIRST ON FOX: Newly released undercover video shows a university administrator in North Carolina boasting about DEI efforts still taking place at the school despite state and federal efforts to roll back the policies, prompting the school to sever ties with that employee.
"I mean we probably still do anyway… but you gotta keep it quiet," UNC Asheville Dean of Students Megan Pugh tells an undercover journalist in a video released by Accuracy In Media and exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, after being praised for continuing to do "equity work" at the school.
"Keep it on the down low?" the journalist responds, to which Pugh says, "Yeah."
"But, I love breaking rules," Pugh then says.
Pugh's comments come a year after the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors voted to essentially ban DEI and focus on "institutional neutrality," Carolina Journal reported.
The Accuracy in Media video captures Pugh saying "M'hm" when asked if "breaking rules" is "why y'all kind of spread it out and stuff?"
"Well, yes, and no," Pugh clarifies. "Part of it is that, part of it is just because we don't have a dedicated office for it anymore, it's easier to maintain."
Pugh continues, "Until more or less they get mad at us, but they haven't done it yet."
When asked if the school was "supportive" of the ways DEI is still being implemented, Pugh says, "M'hm" and answers in the affirmative.
The undercover investigator asks Pugh about "implicit bias training" and Pugh explains that they haven't taught that since the "spring" because the school administrators have been specifically opposed to that in a way that "I don't enjoy."
Despite that, Pugh explains her openness and "intention" to implement that sort of training under a "broader banner."
"Just maybe being creative," the undercover investigator says.
"Yeah, exactly," Pugh, whose profile on the school website uses the pronouns "she/her," responds.
In response to a Fox News Digital inquiry about the video, a UNC Asheville spokesperson said the school is "aware of a video in which an employee makes comments implying that the University does not comply with UNC System policies or legal requirements and supports employees disregarding such obligations."
"These remarks do not represent the practices of UNC Asheville. The University remains firmly committed to upholding all UNC System policies as well as federal and state laws, both in principle and in practice."
The university added that after a "prompt review of the matter" the "individual is no longer employed by the university."
"The University will undertake a comprehensive review to reinforce expectations and ensure all employees are aligned with applicable laws and policies."
GOP Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, who represents North Carolina's 5th Congressional District, expressed concern about the video in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"The UNC System has made a good faith effort to get rid of DEI, but obviously the word has not reached the ears of UNC Asheville's administration," Foxx said.
"Dean Pugh is a picture-perfect example of how entrenched this caustic ideology really is within postsecondary education. It's time to clean house at the university level and cast out personnel who believe they can act with blatant impunity."
In addition to North Carolina making moves to roll back DEI, which have seemingly been unsuccessful, the Trump administration has made efforts to roll back DEI on the federal level and tell universities that accept federal funding that they must stop promoting the agenda.
"It's abundantly clear that the Marxist principles associated with DEI are fully embedded into this university," Accuracy in Media President Adam Guillette told Fox News Digital. "Removing one employee is merely the first step toward reform."
"Resolving the institutionalized radicalism at UNC-Asheville will require new leadership at the university level and bold reform from the Board of Governors," he continued.
Will Hild, executive director of Consumers' Research, told Fox News Digital earlier this year that companies and organizations are working hard to rebrand DEI policies by giving them new names.
"It is the exact same toxic nonsense under a new wrapper, and they're just hoping to extend the grift because a lot of these people, I would say most of the people working in DEI, are useless," Hild said.