Department of Education Moves to Disband DEI Initiatives and Appoints New Senior Leadership
Reflecting on past actions, the agency has allocated over $1 billion for DEI initiatives since 2021, as reported by an advocacy organization.
On January 23, the Department of Education revealed intentions to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the agency, a move that also includes placing relevant staff on paid leave.
The department stated that it has canceled over $2.6 million worth of ongoing DEI training and service contracts and has placed employees responsible for the previous administration’s DEI initiatives on paid administrative leave.
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Over 200 web pages from the department’s website that featured DEI resources have been flagged for removal, as the federal agency stated that these pages “encouraged schools and institutions of higher education to promote or endorse harmful ideological programs.”
Another terminated program is the Employee Engagement Diversity Equity Inclusion Accessibility Council under the Office for Civil Rights.
Trump’s Orders, New Recruits
Trump’s executive order accused the Biden administration of imposing “illegal and immoral discrimination programs” masquerading as DEI within the government. Trump described this as a “concerted effort” initiated on the first day of the Biden administration.
The Biden directive led to nearly every federal agency submitting strategies detailing how they promote DEI within the government, which allegedly resulted in “significant public waste and disgraceful discrimination,” according to the order.
“That ends today. The American people deserve a government dedicated to serving every individual with equal dignity and respect, focusing taxpayer resources solely on making America great.”
The memo urged employees to report such actions, warning that “failure to report this information within 10 days will lead to negative consequences.”
Among the newly appointed staff for the Department of Education is Rachel Oglesby, now serving as the department’s chief of staff. Oglesby previously held the position of chief state action officer and director at America First Policy Institute before taking on her current role, and she had also worked as chief of policy and deputy chief of staff for Gov. Kristi Noem in South Dakota.
Also appointed is Jonathan Pidluzny, a colleague from the America First Policy Institute, who now serves as the deputy chief of staff for policy and programs.
Steve Warzoha has been designated as the new White House Liaison after most recently being part of the Trump-Vance Transition Team.
Education and DEI
According to the advocacy group Parents Defending Education, the education department has disbursed over $1 billion since 2021 for various DEI initiatives, as of December 12, 2024. This funding reached 296 K-12 school districts across 42 states and the District of Columbia.
Additionally, over $343 million was directed towards DEI programming focused on youth activism. More than $169 million was earmarked for DEI initiatives targeting mental health training programs and social-emotional learning efforts.
