LEAKED CALL: University Caught Pushing DEI Despite Trump Ban, “Feds Have No Impact”

A leaked phone call reveals Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is still packing DEI into its courses.

And this is despite President Trump’s executive order cutting it from federally funded classrooms.

Guess they won’t be too happy about this call leaking, huh?

One professor Jeanne Martin Smith said DEI is baked into the curriculum and claimed, “the federal government has no impact on courses at SNHU.”

The school’s teaching topics like “Why White school districts have so much money,” even though it’s received federal funds since the ’70s.

Looks like SNHU’s playing by its own rulebook…for now.

James O’Keefe posted on X:

A leaked phone call obtained by O’Keefe Media Group exposes Southern New Hampshire University (
@SNHU
) is continuing to integrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into its sociology courses, despite President Trump’s (
@realdonaldtrump
) executive order aimed at limiting DEI teachings in federally funded schools. The audio and supporting documents reveal that the university is teaching students topics like “Why white school districts have so much money,” revealing the institution is disregarding federal mandates.

In the call, Jeanne Martin, an adjunct professor and academic advisor at SNHU, confirms that DEI is heavily integrated into the university’s courses, stating, “DEI is very much integrated into the courses at SNHU,” and further asserting, “the federal government has no impact on courses at SNHU.” This is significant given that SNHU is a federally funded university, receiving financial support from the government since the 1970s.

President Trump’s Executive Order 14173 intends to eliminate “discriminatory DEI” practices within federal government agencies and encourage “merit-based” hiring and promotions across the private sector. The order also has implications for educational institutions that receive federal funding, making the ongoing inclusion of DEI in SNHU’s curriculum a potential violation.

O’Keefe Media Group reached out to SNHU and Jeanne Martin for comment, but they have yet to provide a statement regarding the leaked call or the university’s stance on DEI integration into their programs.

A leaked phone call obtained by O’Keefe Media Group exposes Southern New Hampshire University (@SNHU) is continuing to integrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into its sociology courses, despite President Trump’s (@realdonaldtrump) executive order aimed at limiting DEI…

— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) March 26, 2025

O’Keefe Media Group posted:

A leaked phone call obtained by O’Keefe Media Group (OMG) exposes Southern New Hampshire University is continuing to integrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into its sociology courses, despite President Trump’s executive order aimed at limiting DEI teachings in federally funded schools. The audio and supporting documents reveal that the university is teaching students topics like “Why White school districts have so much money,” revealing the institution is disregarding federal mandates.

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In the call, Jeanne Martin, an adjunct professor and academic advisor at SNHU, confirms that DEI is heavily integrated into the university’s courses, stating, “DEI is very much integrated into the courses at SNHU,” and further asserting, “the federal government has no impact on courses at SNHU.” This is significant given that SNHU is a federally funded university, receiving financial support from the government since the 1970s.