Allie Mikalatos ’25
Copy Editor
On Feb. 22, Kristen Cole, the former senior director of strategic content and media relations at Trinity College, announced via LinkedIn that she had been terminated from her position, which she held for the past three years. Cole wrote that she was terminated because she “reached out to the College’s DEI office about a public radio request.” She explained that a letter she received from the College read: “You approached a vice president to speak with WNPR about changing DEI policies at the federal level,” an action which indicated poor judgment, given that Cole had previously been instructed “to avoid media engagement on a particular topic.” The Boston Globe received a copy of Cole’s termination letter and verified Cole’s claim.
Cole expanded upon the restrictions Trinity allegedly placed upon her in a since-deleted comment on her post, writing that the College “has a bit of residual sense of in loco parentis. Student Life determined when to make students available for media requests. In the case of the LA fires: no.”
In a statement to the Tripod, Vice President for Strategic Marketing and Communications Hellen Hom-Diamond clarified that “the Office of Communications and Marketing often collaborates with the Office of Student Life to identify students who might be available to respond to media requests.” However, “students who are not speaking in the capacity as a College employee are free to speak to media whenever they choose.” Hom-Diamond also shared that the College does not have specific official policies about DEI-related communications. She emphasized that although the College is “not always… in a position to respond” to DEI related inquiries given “the rapid pace of executive orders, judicial blocks of these orders and proposed regulation changes,” the institution still “welcome[s] all media inquiries.”
Cole’s termination comes amid national concerns regarding the future of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in higher education and across the workforce. Donald Trump’s Jan. 21, 2025 executive order, “Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” mandates the discontinuation of “illegal DEI” initiatives and threatens institutions who do not comply with the loss of federal grants. Although some universities have already made major changes to their institutional structure, on Feb. 21, U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson blocked parts of Trump’s order, citing overly vague language and “blatant” attempts to chill freedom of speech.
Trinity’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion houses a variety of offices crucial to the College’s functionality and student success, such as the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Office of Title IX, the Queer Resource Center and the Women and Gender Resource Action Center. During the Feb. 14 Town Hall event, Joe DiChristina, Trinity’s vice president for student success and enrollment management, noted that the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will be “marching forward” regardless of Trump’s executive orders. However, in a statement to the Tripod, Hom-Diamond explained that the College is “currently challenged to navigate the uncertainty and the gap between the current law and what the law might become in the near future,” and that the College “will implement legally-compliant changes as they become necessary.”
In a statement to the Tripod, Cole communicated that she posted about her DEI-communications related termination on LinkedIn because “there are a lot of us there who work in higher education and in the media looking for opportunities to help inform the public dialogue.” Her post garnered almost 20 comments, many of them from media professionals expressing disdain for Trinity’s alleged actions. The post was also shared widely amongst the Trinity community. Anne Zinkin ’83 commented, “[I am] ashamed of my alma mater.” Zinkin expanded on this sentiment in a statement to the Tripod, stating: “I am deeply saddened that Trinity fired Ms. Cole under these circumstances. I think it’s more important than ever that our institutions of higher learning push back against the [Trump] administration’s anti-DEI propaganda and pressure.”
On Feb. 24, Cole posted on LinkedIn once again, thanking those who reached out to her. She wrote that she hoped her post served to show “information is the biggest defense against uncertainty,” and that “your communicators are there to help you identify the best ways to reach the audiences important to you.” To the Tripod, Cole stated, “I’m sorry for how my connection with Trinity ended. There are a lot of tremendous people who make up the Trinity community.”
Wild, lol. The gap between our ideals and our actions. It’s fine for the college to toe the lines as they need federal funding. However, her firing does seem retaliatory. Trinity can be at the forefront of revolutionary movements – the civil rights/apartheid movement was an example- but always seems to trail behind and wait for other peer institutions before making similar efforts. It starts with protecting your employees and students. What happens if the government, with fascist tendencies, comes against students? The point is not to fearmonger or cry wolf. The point is to ask ourselves what the institution would do and how they’d react in a not too far off possibility. Thank you Trin for the education, genuinely love you, but goddammit.
“crucial” ? classrooms and professors are crucial. the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Office of Title IX, the Queer Resource Center and the Women and Gender Resource Action Center are not “crucial” for the College’s functionality. good grief.