The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is facing scrutiny from the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project after its president, Mike Howell, submitted a sweeping public records request targeting more than 70 university courses that address LGBTQ+ topics, racial justice, or diversity. The request seeks access to syllabi, assignments, lecture slides, and internal communications tied to any materials referencing terms such as “LGBTQ+,” “gender identity,” “transgender,” “cisgender,” “intersectionality,” “white privilege,” “restorative justice,” “critical race theory” and others.
Among the courses flagged are Gender and Sexuality in Islam, Transnational Black Feminist Thought and Practice, Islam and Sexual Diversity, Race and Gender in the Atlantic World, Black Families in Contemporary Contexts, and several others focused on cultural diversity, education and literature. The Oversight Project has framed the request as an attempt to investigate whether public institutions are engaging in what it describes as ideological indoctrination. The effort aligns closely with Project 2025, a far-reaching policy agenda led by the Heritage Foundation that outlines plans to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across federal and public institutions.
University spokesperson Beth Keith confirmed that the university will comply with the records request as required under state law but also emphasized that UNC-Chapel Hill remains committed to academic freedom. The move has sparked concern among faculty members, academic freedom advocates and civil rights organizations who warn that ideologically motivated public records requests are increasingly being used to intimidate educators and restrict classroom instruction.
“Whatever they’re claiming the legal right is, it’s a violation of academic freedom,” said Joan Scott, a member of the American Association of University Professors’ Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure and one of the founders of Chapel Hill’s women’s studies program. “It’s a violation of individual free speech rights and it’s an intrusion into the teaching of university faculty in the name of, it seems to me, a right-wing ideological agenda.”
Scholars note that course syllabi and curricula are the result of years of research, peer-reviewed scholarship, and subject matter expertise. They argue that efforts to target certain keywords or course themes ignore the intellectual foundations of these disciplines and instead reduce them to political talking points. The concern is not just about transparency but about the chilling effect such requests may have on faculty, particularly those teaching about race, gender, sexuality and other marginalized experiences.
This action at UNC is not occurring in isolation. It reflects a growing trend of right-wing efforts to monitor, suppress, or eliminate content related to LGBTQ+ identity, racial justice, and DEI in higher education. Critics argue that this strategy is designed to undermine public confidence in academic institutions, silence inclusive scholarship, and roll back hard-won civil rights gains under the guise of accountability.
As of now, the university has not made any further public comment beyond confirming its intent to comply. Meanwhile, students, faculty, and advocates across the state are watching closely as pressure continues to mount on educators who choose to teach the truth about identity, history, and power in the classroom.