Several states are committed to resisting the Trump administration’s efforts to eradicate divisive diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from schools.

In February, the Department of Education (ED) sent an order to the state education officer, reminding them that they are bound by the Civil Rights Act and cannot make admission or employment decisions based on race, nor adopting exclusion programs. It shows that some states are currently opposed to the latest in the administration requestIt was issued on April 3rd and certifies that the DEI initiative is not being used as a condition of continued federal financial support, as it requires that all states receiving federal education funds receive T0.

New York was one of the first to oppose the administration, along with New York school lawyers and deputy committee member Daniel Morton Bentley. Statement In a letter to the ED, states will not comply with “there are no federal or state laws prohibiting the DEI principles.”

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) vowed to violate federal orders in a letter sent by Commissioner Willie Jett of the Minnesota Department of Education. “MDE has long been following federal law in the implementation of federal law. There is nothing illegal in the program that underlies principles that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. In fact, Ed has long supported these principles,” Jett wrote in a letter to the administration.

Ed initially said that schools must prove compliance within 10 days of the April 3 memo, and that warning Non-compliance The ED has extended the deadline until April 24th, but will risk loss of federal funds or referrals to the Department of Justice (DOJ). According to Until Education Week, the state insisted on Title VI compliance.

“Federal financial support is a privilege, not a right,” the deputy civil rights secretary said in Ed’s memo. “When state education commissioners accept federal funds, they agree to comply with the federal differentiation requirements. Unfortunately, we find that too many schools are violating these obligations.

Shortly after Ed sent out a note for April 3rd, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Democrat I was threatened If the Trump administration attempts to cut the $1.3 billion in federal funds it received this fiscal year, and says “it’s unconstitutional to disrupt freedom of speech.” Federal funds are roughly accounted for 16% of the district’s annual budget.

Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) letter Ed claims that the state has already certified Title VI compliance and is “unknown” as to which programs the administration’s directive is trying to regulate. “The letter refers to “specific DEI practices” or “illegal DEIs,” but it does not define it, and there are no federal or state laws that prohibit diversity, equity or inclusion,” the Isbe letter states.

Chicago Public Schools still maintain a “fair office.” DEI Resource Guide The aim is to “support school teams with the DEI plan.” some resource “Improvisation listed[ing] Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) training and employment practices in schools. ” (Related: Blue State rejects Trump’s order to remove Day from school)

California Department of Education I was asked Federal powers require authorities to terminate all use of DEI practices and to instruct schools in the state not to respond to administration letters. The state receives approximately $16.3 billion each year in federal funding. According to To the Los Angeles Times.

In a letter from April 11th, it was sent to California’s deputy chief, Ed. David Shapira wrote, “There is nothing in state or federal law… condemns the broad concept of “diversity,” “fair,” or “inclusion.”

“Just because of that [President Donald] Trump ordered that, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,” said Noel Ellerson NG, a legislative advocate for the School Principals Association. I said School Administrator in California in February. “An executive order in itself can’t really achieve much… there’s a clear difference between activity and productivity.”

California has already been found in a hot seat with Trump’s Ed as it explores several state universities that allegedly use race as a factor in entry despite the 2023 Supreme Court banning positive action policies.

A 2022 report found that California has spent around $500 million on DEI initiatives over several years, including topics such as “racial equity” workshops and employee training. Several school districts in the state are under federal investigations that have allegedly allowed children to change gender identity at schools without parental knowledge or consent.

Meanwhile, Michigan’s public leadership manager Michael Rice I wrote it On April 10, he insisted that the state schools were already compliant and that further certification was “necessary.” In a letter sent to a local supervisor on the same day, Rice confirmed that the state was practicing Day, but insisted that the practice was completely legal.

“[M]Rice wrote on April 10th. “Efforts to promote programs that support diversity and inclusion are trying to avoid discriminating, rather than limiting opportunities,” he wrote. In other words, these positive activities have no preference in themselves, no losers, no illegal discrimination, or any related Title VI violations. ”

Shortly after the February memo was sent, the School Chiefs’ Association (aasa), “functions as the voice of the public for public education,” consisting of school administrators from all over the country; advice School districts ignore guidance. Higher education groups such as the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and policy advisory organizations such as the American Council of Education (ACE) have told agencies to resist departmental demands at AAUP. Statement“We must vigorously oppose the attack on education.”

“To be abundantly clear, dear colleague letters are not law,” ACE president Ted Mitchell said at a policy briefing Tuesday. According to For internal higher education. “They are mere statements of intent by the enforcement as to how they intend to interpret the law, and therefore excessive violations, predictive compliance, preemptive compliance are not strategies.

While individual states and local officials may be confident in their interpretation of Title VI, the move to shield DEI policies will at least temporarily lead to millions of dollars in funding from the federal government.

“[T]Maddie Biederman, assistant director of communications at ED, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “The Ministry of Education is responsible for ensuring that the Ministry of Education protects the civil rights of students. The department simply asks the state to verify compliance with this fundamental responsibility, and could have done it every year since 1964, since the Civil Rights Act was signed.”

The Trump administration has a track record of supporting its promise to cut funds for violations of federal orders. Some universities have been targeted for such funding that have allegedly failed to properly address anti-Semitism complaints on campus.

Similarly, the Trump administration followed a promise to cancel federal funds in Maine if the state continues to allow men to compete in women’s sports. By suing the administration over what the USDA alleges is “blatantly illegal” conduct, the administration “freezing federal funds allocated to Maine to feed school children” has made it clear that the frozen funds will not affect the federal feeding program or direct support.

Ed then withdraws all K-12 funds from the main and introduces them to DOJ after some warnings. The DOJ subsequently filed a lawsuit against the state over its continued violation.

The DEI initiative was greatly promoted under the Biden administration. The Biden administration will spend around $600 million on a diversity training program exclusively for teachers, directing them to “bear personal and institutional responsibility for systemic inequality,” and “accept systemic forms of oppression and inequality, including racism, possibility, “gender-based discrimination, homerbia, and age.”

Millions of taxpayer dollars have also been poured into schools’ “climate literacy,” climate change, “LGBTQ inclusion,” and “anti-racism and anti-attack.” Over $100 million in grants have been sent to universities aimed at training K-12 social workers with critical racial theory, social justice, and DEI. (Related: Exclusive: MA School District will deploy new DEI positions despite Trump’s orders)

Since taking office, Trump has worked on DEI initiatives and lessons as well as important racial theory lessons from schools and federal agencies. 1 Order “End and prioritize radical and wasteful government DEI programmes.” Hundreds of documents outlining DEI practices have been scrubbed from the ED website, staff members will be placed on administrative leave, all DEI training will be suspended under Trump’s direction and extensive support from voters.

Education departments in New York, Illinois, Minnesota and California did not immediately respond to DCNF’s request for comment.

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