By Charles Perez | Published at WLOS.com

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — At the May 23, 2024, meeting of the UNC Board of Regents, the governors of the University of North Carolina voted to eliminate the state's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) program from its 16 campuses in a 22-2 vote.

The decision made UNC the latest statewide system to defund DEI, following Florida and Alabama. The action puts North Carolina at the center of the debate over the role of DEI support programs that use public funds to promote diversity on campus.

The Board's decision came following the release of a report by the self-described "non-partisan" watchdog group OpenTheBooks.com. The report, which was delivered to the Board before their May 23 meeting, states that the UNC system spends $90 million annually to support DEI programs. It's a number that's caught attention.

"Ninety million is the total salary of all 700 employees, some dedicated to DEI, some in a DEI-related role," according to Adam Andrzejewski, founder of OpenTheBooks.com, "But not (necessarily) their primary responsibilities."

The distinction was enough to raise questions about the high-dollar figure.

According to the report, the $90 million in funding for DEI has bled through all 16 UNC campuses, across 300 departments and touches nearly 700 employees.

Andrzejewski says the numbers confirm that UNC was "pushing DEI in every facet of the entire (university) complex."

Read the full article.