IOWA CITY, Iowa — A spokesperson with the University of Iowa confirms a second employee has been placed on paid administrative leave after a second “undercover” video emerges where a university employee dismisses state law to curtail Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs on campus.
The latest video posted by conservative news outlet Townhall, is a 35-second long edit and is posted without the questions that were asked. You can watch the video here where Senior Associate Director of Iowa Union Memorial Cory Lockwood is filmed saying, “There’s DEI work happening, but I think, you know, somebody’s not going to have that in their job description because of the statehouse.”
Lockwood was placed on paid administrative leave on July 31.
A similar video was released earlier this week on Fox News. That video was also heavily edited.
Andrea Tinoco was filmed discussing how they are working around the state’s new diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) restrictions. Tinoco was placed on administrative leave July 29.
This comes after Iowa lawmakers banned DEI offices at public colleges and universities in 2024.
The videos prompted the University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson to issue a statement saying in part:
“Faith in our institution depends on our unwavering commitment to upholding state and federal laws as well as the policies set forth by our governing board. The expectations we have for our faculty and staff are clear and uncompromising: We adhere to the highest standards of conduct, accountability, and transparency.
In response, we have launched an immediate and comprehensive investigation. Additionally, we have reached out to the Board of Regents office and to the Iowa Attorney General’s office to coordinate our efforts.”
Following the initial video’s release, Governor Kim Reynolds and theBoard of Regents both urged action against the university.