This story was updated Wednesday, May 17 to include information from a public statement by the university.
The University of St. Thomas community awoke Thursday to a video released online by O’Keefe Media Group, whose founder is the former leader of the right-wing group Project Veritas, that shows a conversation with a Residence Life administrator about campus housing policies for transgender students.
In a statement to TommieMedia Thursday afternoon, the university said the video “appears to be heavily edited to fit a specific agenda.” The university also said, “We want all students–including our transgender students–to feel a sense of belonging, connection and inclusion.”
The recording, which includes multiple edits, showed a conversation between two unknown people off camera and the Residence Life administrator. The video does not make clear how the individuals represented themselves to the administrator.
In a public statement released Monday, the university wrote, “The individuals asking questions of our staff member in the video intentionally misrepresented themselves, misled her and unethically used a hidden camera to record the conversation without her knowledge.”
The university added the behavior was “unacceptable.”
In the video, James O’Keefe, founder of O’Keefe Media Group, appears separately on camera in a different location, explaining the use of what he described as a “citizen journalist,” who claimed to have a “trans sister” who was exploring accommodations.
The nearly five-minute video, which included a graphic dated May 2, 2023, shows multiple questions and answers about transgender students on campus, the disclosure of their status as transgender, and whether a transgender woman could “dorm with women.”
TommieMedia has learned that Residence Life has received hateful phone calls and emails since the release of the video.
The University of St. Thomas’ Queer-Straight Alliance student club denounced the video, in a statement to TommieMedia, as an “affront to the UST LGBTQIA+ community. Over the last 3-4 years, UST has made large strides in ensuring all students feel welcome at St. Thomas.”
The QSA went on to write, “The comments in the video act as if all policies considering the LGBTQIA+ community is a dirty secret that only a few in the know truly understand what’s going on. In reality, there are multiple departments on campus who strongly stand by and support the Trans Community, and the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole.”
On its webpage titled, “Supporting our LGBTQIA+ Community,” the university states under “Living on Campus” that “Housing and community bathroom assignments use the gender identity indicated” in a student’s application.
In its statement Thursday, St. Thomas expanded on its housing practices for transgender students.
“If a student were to voluntarily disclose their transgender identity and ask to have a roommate, our Residence Life team would take steps to make sure both students are comfortable with the living arrangements, while abiding by privacy laws that prevent us from sharing a student’s transgender identity without their consent.
“In our experience, a single room is often the best option for a transgender student. Single rooms are first assigned to students who are granted single-room housing accommodations through Disability Resources. Once those assignments are made, Residence Life then assigns the remaining available rooms based on student requests, considering their personal needs.”
In the university’s Monday statement, it wrote, “Over the years, there has been a minimal number of students (0-2 per year) who have disclosed their transgender identities and asked for housing at St. Thomas.”
O’Keefe claimed the “citizen journalist” has recordings with other “conservative and religious universities.”
O’Keefe Media Group states on its website that it is “building an army of investigators and exposers.” It was founded by O’Keefe after his removal in February as the leader of Project Veritas, an organization that according to the Associated Press, is best known for its hidden camera stings that have embarrassed news outlets, labor organizations and Democratic politicians.
Following the release of the group’s video focusing on St. Thomas, the university emphasized its commitment to its diverse student body.
“At the University of St. Thomas, we respect the dignity of each person and value the unique contributions they bring to our university.”
TommieMedia is the University of St. Thomas’ student-run news organization and can be reached at tommiemedia@stthomas.edu.
Thank you for supporting the Trans community! Means a lot to see this article!
This is a serious safety issue and I cannot believe the University thinks this policy is acceptable. Biological males should not be housed in the same dorm rooms and share community bathrooms, etc. with biological females. Period.
Protect our trans community members. We stand with them!
yes, “feel welcomed” by getting extra benefits.
“Inspired by the Catholic Intellectual Tradition…” is the opening of our very own Mission Statement. The current Res Life & Housing policies around gender identity are irreconcilable and incompatible with UST’s own Mission Statement, Convictions, and Charism, notwithstanding the Catholic position on transgenderism.
The fact that a male student who claims a transgender identity can even be assigned to any women’s dorm at all, single-room or not, is wrong and has no place at our beloved university. Full stop.
Interesting. A very secular, progressive response. Nothing about Catholic teaching or how to understand the overarching issue say in light of Genesis 2 where He creates them male and female. Or how is a trans person not rejecting the Creator’s will of a binary biological makeup from the beginning of creation? Nor anything about a forgiving and merciful Jesus who asks us to pick up our cross and follow him with a contrite heart and to sin no more.
This article did not deny or dispute the fact pattern that was laid out in the video. Which is, that trans students get preferential treatment in the name of “inclusion”.