Education Department Warns States to Terminate DEI Programs in Schools or Face Loss of Federal Funding

February 15, 2025 TruthUSA

State education departments have been given a 14-day period to ensure adherence to federal guidelines.

The U.S. Department of Education has issued a warning to state education departments, stating that they have 14 days to halt their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs or face the possibility of losing federal funding.

This notification was communicated in a “Dear Colleague” letter dispatched on February 14 to the education departments across all 50 states, as reported by the Department of Government Efficiency.

The letter, authored by Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the Education Department, criticizes what it characterizes as “overt and covert racial discrimination” occurring in K-12 schools and universities, especially under DEI initiatives over the last four years.

It specifically condemns actions such as discrimination against white and Asian students, the propagation of the notion that the United States was founded on systemic racism, and the promotion of racial segregation during graduation events and in student housing. These practices, the letter asserts, will no longer be permitted.

“The law is explicit: differentiating treatment for students based on race to attain ambiguous objectives like diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal under established Supreme Court precedents,” Trainor stated.

While reiterating the responsibilities set forth by Title VI, the federal statute that prohibits race-based discrimination for entities receiving federal funding, the letter also references the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case where Harvard University was challenged for implementing racial preferences in its admissions process.

The 2023 landmark ruling, which deemed it unconstitutional for both public and private colleges to factor an applicant’s race into admissions, establishes a framework that the Department believes should be applied more broadly, as stated in the letter.

“Essentially, the test is straightforward: If an educational institution treats individuals of differing races differently due to their race, it is in violation of the law,” it declared.

The department cautioned that non-compliance could threaten schools’ federal funding. It also indicated that actions for enforcement would be forthcoming, committing to “vigorously enforce the law” and initiating compliance assessments “within 14 days.”

“Every student is entitled to an educational environment free from discrimination. The Department is dedicated to making these principles a reality,” the letter concluded.

This notification follows an executive order by President Donald Trump, aiming to prohibit federal agencies from providing funding for “illegal and discriminatory treatment and indoctrination in K-12 schooling, including those based on gender ideology and discriminatory equity ideology.” An earlier order has already dismantled DEI offices and initiatives across the federal landscape.

In accordance with the president’s directives, the Education Department has removed all references to DEI from official documents and websites, dissolved its Diversity & Inclusion Council, and placed individuals leading DEI initiatives on leave.

On the same day that the letter was dispatched, DOGE announced on X that the Education Department had canceled 70 DEI training grants as a part of the Trump administration’s broader initiative to cut wasteful government expenditures.

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