North Carolina
UNC board committee passes policy that threatens DEI at NC public universities
A UNC Board of Governors committee has passed a policy that could lead to the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion officers on all 17 UNC system campuses.
In an uncommon move, the University Governance committee did not discuss the new policy at all before unanimously passing it on Wednesday. It still needs to be voted on by the full Board of Governors in May.
The change replaces a policy passed in 2019 that created the DEI positions and data reporting at all 16 public North Carolina universities, and the NC School of Science and Mathematics. This includes a UNC System Diversity and Inclusion liaison and cross-university council, as well as individual institutional DEI officers.
The wording of the new policy makes it clear that, according to the UNC System, the DEI offices and officers do not “adhere to and comply with the strictures of institutional neutrality” as outlined in North Carolina’s Campus Free Speech law that prevents universities from participating in “political controversies of the day.”
“The changes do three things,” said Andrew Tripp, senior vice president and general counsel for the UNC System, in his short introduction to the Board of the new policy language. “They replace (the existing policy), they reaffirm the university’s commitment to non-discrimination and institutional neutrality, and they direct chancellors across the System.”
The committee then quickly voted on the new policy and immediately went into closed session.
Tripp is the former Chief of Staff to Republican Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger.
If the new policy passes the full Board of Governors, individual chancellors will be required to send UNC System President Peter Hans a report by September 1 that details how their universities comply with “institutional neutrality.” The policy mandates that chancellors take certain “actions” to meet compliance, including reducing “force and spending” for DEI programs, and changing job titles and position descriptions.
Along with the certification report to Hans, chancellors must suggest ways to redirect funding from disbanded DEI programming to “student success” initiatives.
Most universities in the UNC System have robust DEI offices with chief diversity officers, support staff and student ambassadors. For example, offices at Appalachian State, North Carolina State, UNC Pembroke and other universities also include specific coordinators for accessibility, cultural, LGBTQ, women and other communities.
Schools also have website hubs for DEI efforts. This includes events, diversity dashboards, inclusive training programs, DEI research and anti-racism resources.
These efforts, as well as DEI staff positions, are almost assuredly in jeopardy with the new policy. It’s unclear if staff will be fired or moved to different positions within their universities.
North Carolina is one of many states changing their DEI policies. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, more than 84 anti-DEI bills have been proposed since 2023. Ten states, including Florida, Alabama, and Texas, have signed some form of anti-DEI legislation into law.
North Carolina
North Carolina man extradited to Pa. for $100,000 ATM theft spree: police
A 42-year-old North Carolina man on Tuesday was extradited to Pennsylvania after state police said he stole more than $100,000 from ATMs in Snyder and Union counties.
Between Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, Antoni J. Garcia-Cordoba, of Raleigh, North Carolina, stole from four ATMs at Central Penn Bank and Trust locations, state police said.
In a five-hour span, Garcia-Cordoba took $43,000 from three separate ATMs in Snyder and Union counties, according to a police report. On Oct. 1, he stole an additional $58,000 from an ATM in Titusville, bringing the total amount stolen to $101,000.
Garcia-Cordoba is charged with two counts of corrupt organizations – employee, a first-degree felony, and two counts of theft by unlawful taking, a third-degree felony.
After being in custody at a jail in Boone County, Missouri, Garcia-Cordoba was extradited to Union County on Tuesday.
He is being held in the Union County Prison after being unable to post $100,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2026.
North Carolina
11 firefighters and 2 others injured after North Carolina house fire and explosion
SALISBURY, N.C. — Eleven firefighters and two other people were injured in a house fire explosion in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, officials said.
Salisbury Fire Chief Bob Parnell said firefighters did not have life-threatening injuries but were getting treated for contusions, concussions and smoke inhalation following the fire Monday evening. Two other people were taken to the hospital, but Parnell said he didn’t know their conditions and couldn’t confirm whether they were in the house at the time of the fire.
The Salisbury Fire Department responded to the single-family home around 5 p.m. and found it engulfed in flames.
Eleven of the 22 firefighters at the scene went inside the house to search for occupants and “get water on that fire,” which preceded the explosion, Panell said at a news conference.
“It was enough force that the outside walls blew out, the roof came up and went back down,” Parnell said.
An investigation of the fire and explosion is continuing.
North Carolina
Harrison Bertos scores in OT to help Washington beat N.C. State 3-2 and win first Men’s College Cup
CARY, N.C. (AP) — Harrison Bertos scored 1:54 into overtime after Washington blew a two-goal lead in the second half, and the Huskies beat North Carolina State 3-2 to win the Men’s College Cup at First Horizon Stadium on Monday night.
It was the first national championship for unseeded Washington (16-6-2), who became the first team to win six road matches in the tournament — beating six seeded teams along the way under the guidance of coach Jamie Clark. The Huskies won in their second trip to the final after losing 2-0 to Clemson in 2021.
No. 15 seed N.C. State (16-3-4) made the final for the first time behind coach Marc Hubbard. The Wolfpack were aiming for the school’s first national championship since Jim Valvano led the men’s basketball team to the title in 1983.
Zach Ramsey scored unassisted with 1:12 remaining in the first half and Washington took a 1-0 lead into the break. It was only the second time this season that N.C. State trailed at halftime.
Ramsey scored into an empty net after Wolfpack goalkeeper Logan Erb couldn’t corral the ball at the top of the box. It was Ramsey’s second goal of the tournament.
Richie Aman sent a cross to the center of the goal and Joe Dale knocked it in for a 2-0 lead in the 62nd minute.
Donavan Phillip answered in the 66th, scoring with an assist from Nikola Markovic to cut it to 2-1 with his fourth goal of the tournament. The Wolfpack entered 11-0-1 when Phillip scores.
Taig Healy scored the equalizer with 3:28 remaining with assists from Justin Mclean and Calem Tommy.
Egor Akulov had an assist on Bertos’ winner.
Huskies keeper Jadon Bowton, the only remaining player from the 2021 squad, had five saves.
Erb saved six shots for N.C. State, which was the last school to concede a goal this season.
The temperature was 28 degrees when the match between two teams that had never faced each other began.
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