‘Like What Hitler Did’: Montana Educator Conference Audio Surfaces as Trump Cuts DEI Funding

MISSOULA — Undercover recordings from the Montana Federation of Public Employees Educator Conference reveal educators discussing ways to continue diversity programs despite parental opposition and describing efforts to return previously removed books to school libraries, even as the Trump administration threatens to cut federal funding from schools that maintain DEI programs.

The recordings, captured by conservative activist Finley Warden during the October 16-17 conference in Missoula, have sparked controversy over what educators say in private versus their public statements on contested educational policies.

DEI Session Compares Art Censorship Concerns to Nazi Regime

In one recording from a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion presentation by the Montana Art Education Association DEI Committee, an art educator compared parental concerns about nude imagery of children to Nazi-era censorship policies.

The educator referenced photographer Sally Mann’s controversial images of her own nude children, saying the removal of such work from museums constituted “censorship.”

“I think about the degenerate art movement and I think about how when government takes control of art of the materiality of the culture is producing in response to what is happening around the artists that its a very dangerous place,” the educator said in the recording.

The presenter suggested teachers should “look at censorship and I would look at the Nazi regime and look at what Hitler did with abstraction, right? That became, like, inappropriate, disgusting art.”

The session was part of a workshop conducted in partnership with the Montana Art Education Association’s EDI Committee, which is led by co-chairs Mara Pierce of Billings and Jennifer Combe of Missoula. Dr. Pierce also serves as the National Art Education Association’s ED&I Liaison.

Middle School Librarian Describes Returning Removed Book

In a second recording from a session titled “Advocacy and Law for Librarians,” a middle school librarian described successfully returning a book with sexual content to her library after it had been removed by a colleague years earlier.

“I’ll tell you what I consider to be my victory story,” the librarian said in the recording. “About 4 years ago, I think it was, I had a book in my library that my colleague removed without telling me.”

The librarian said she “had to bide my time” before being able to reorder the book, which she described as being for 8th graders. After the presentation, Warden says the librarian identified the book as the “Heartstopper” series and admitted the fifth book is “especially explicit.”

The librarian called the original removal “censorship” and described her successful reordering as her “little censorship success story.”

Since 2021, the inclusion of the Heartstopper series in libraries has been challenged on multiple occasions due to its LGBTQ content and subject matter. This has included bans from school libraries in Florida, Oregon, and Mississippi. The bestselling graphic novel series depicts a romantic relationship between two teenage boys in England. Scholastic, which publishes the series, recommends “Heartstopper” for ages 14 to 18.

Additional Claims From Conference Sessions

Warden’s initial post about the conference included additional allegations from other sessions for which detailed recordings have not yet been released. He claimed that during DEI seminars, presenters “bragged about continuing DEI programs despite pushback from parents” and that one presenter “admitted to breaking student privacy rules.”

Warden also alleged that another session “taught teachers to play dumb and ignore parents who question DEI or Critical Race Theory being taught in the classroom.”

Additionally, he said a session on “Micro-aggressions in the Workplace” taught educators “how to identify racial, gender, and sexuality micro-aggressions.”

Background on Conference and Activist

The Montana Federation of Public Employees represents thousands of state and local government workers, including educators. The 2025 Educator Conference included sessions on various professional development topics.

Warden, who describes himself as an “America First Activist” and “Christian,” previously worked as a field organizer for the Montana Republican Party in 2022 and currently serves as Regional Field Director for Gov. Greg Gianforte’s political organization. He conducts undercover recordings to “expose the far left.”

A graduate of Sentinel High School in Missoula, Warden completed his education two years early and says he experienced what he calls “liberal indoctrination” during his time in Missoula Public Schools, often being the only student offering conservative perspectives in class discussions.

Warden said the educators at the conference “talked openly and brazenly about defying parental concerns about how their children are educated.”

The recordings come amid ongoing statewide debates over education policies and continuing federal pressure on DEI programs. The Trump administration called on schools to certify they were not using “illegal DEI practices” by April 24 to continue receiving federal education funds.

On the same day as the deadline, federal judges put different aspects of the Education Department’s anti-DEI directives on hold, pausing enforcement of the certification requirement. As of late April, 21 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico had signed the certification, while others refused to comply. The federal directive has created ongoing uncertainty for educators about what programs and practices might be deemed violations. In August, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen led a 22-state coalition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to restore parental rights in schools.

Organizations Sought for Comment

Western Montana News reached out to the Montana Federation of Public Employees Monday afternoon for comment on the recordings, asking whether the organization stands by the statements made at their conference, what their official position is on educators comparing parental concerns to Nazi censorship, and how they are advising members regarding federal DEI certification requirements. MFPE had not responded by Tuesday afternoon.

Warden said he is partnering with the national account Libs of TikTok to release additional recordings from the conference, with more audio expected to be released today.