Iowa Board of Regents President Robert Cramer has instructed the firm charged with investigating videos of University of Iowa employees last year to begin an audit of all three state universities to ensure compliance with state law.

The board launched an investigation of two UI employees after videos surfaced of them talking about ongoing diversity, equity and inclusion activities at the university after the Legislature had banned DEI work at state universities. Two complaints about the videos alleged “violations of law, university or board of regents policies.”

Cramer announced during the board’s Thursday meeting, after a closed session, that one of the two complaints has been dismissed. For the second complaint, Cramer directed the UI to “initiate disciplinary proceedings in accordance with applicable policies and procedures.”

“I want to be clear, this review was not about personal viewpoints or differing opinions, this is about compliance with the law,” Cramer said. “The board of regents and its institutions will comply with the law — period.”

As the complaints fell under personnel matters, Cramer said no specific information beyond what he shared Thursday would be released, and complaints referred to Employee A and Employee B.

Two UI employees were placed on administrative leave last summer after videos were released on Fox News and conservative publication Townhall showing them allegedly discussing anti-diversity, equity and inclusion policies and how the university was working around them. The first video prompted Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds to file a complaint with the state attorney general’s office for an investigation.

The investigation into the videos was just phase one of the work Consovoy McCarthy, a law firm tasked with aiding in the investigation, is completing for the board of regents, Cramer said.

It was the firm’s findings that the board accepted Thursday, and Cramer said they have already started a “broader, phase two compliance audit” of the UI, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa to ensure alignment with Iowa code barring state universities from maintaining or supporting diversity, equity and inclusion offices or activities, as well as other state and federal laws.

“That work has already begun, and we look forward to hearing about the progress of that review as it moves forward,” Cramer said.