This story was updated at 6:44pm.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Education wrote in a letter to state education leaders on Thursday that all K-12 schools in the state Previous Dear Colleague Letter Diversity, equity and inclusion practices are prohibited if you wish to continue receiving federal financial support.
The department’s drastic order gives educational institutions in K-12 states for 10 days; Compliance Certification They govern from the local school, then sign and return to the federal office.
New demand arises from a February letter It threatens to withdraw federal funding for schools that use DEI or racially conscious practices in admissions, programming, training, employment, scholarships and other aspects of student life.
A trainer for Craig, the department’s deputy civil rights director, said in a statement Thursday that “federal financial support is a privilege, not a right.”
“If state education commissioners accept federal funds, they agree to comply with the federal anti-discrimination requirements,” the trainer said. He said, “Unfortunately, we have seen violating these obligations, including using the (diversity, equity, inclusion) programme to discriminate against one group of groups and endorse another group based on their identity characteristics in a clear violation of Title VI.”
He did not cite the example of the statement.
The trainee said the department is “taking an important step in ensuring that the state understands and complies with existing obligations under Civil Rights Act and Students vs Harvard University.”
In a February letter, the trainer provided a wide range of interpretations of U.S. Supreme Court Judgment In 2023, Harvard University and the University of North Carolina were involved. The country’s highest courts have broken the use of positive behavior in university admissions.
The trainee wrote that the ruling “addressed the decision to hospitalize, but the Supreme Court’s holdings apply more widely.”
The four-page letter raised many questions to schools from k to university.
The department later announced a FAQ Document the letter in an attempt to provide more guidance.
The document noted that the department “prohibits control over the contents of the school’s curriculum” and that “none of title VI, its implementation regulations, or letters from dear colleagues, are permitted to request or approve the school to restrict rights protected by the initial amendment.
The agency also revealed that “programs focused on interest in specific cultures, heritage and regions around the world” are permitted as long as they are “open to all students, regardless of race.”
Teachers’ Union responds
Meanwhile, legal challenges are already underway to the letters of my dear colleague. American Federation of Teachers And another National Education Association.
“In the middle of the school year, the president is about to bully the same school district that he claimed should be in charge of education a few weeks ago,” President Randy Weingerten of the American Federation of Teachers said Thursday. statement.
Weingarten added, “This is a power grab, it’s about grabbing money, and it’s blatantly illegal.”
“The administration wants to divert federal education funds to block grants, vouchers, or tax cuts, but that’s simply not legal. Only Congress can do that. What’s more, federal law explicitly prohibits what a president teaches to schools and universities.
In a statement Thursday, Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, said “Educators and parents know that they should be led to what is best for students, not illegal restrictions or threats of punishment.”
“That’s why we sued the Trump administration, and we support the lawsuit,” she said.
“As we pointed out in our legal terms, this latest action to close free speech to abandon comprehensive practices in schools and forcing educators to enforce educators remains illegal and unconstitutional. SubmitShe added.
Last updated at 5:44pm, April 3, 2025
