The U.S. Department of Education has issued a warning to state education departments, stating that they must abolish their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies or risk losing federal funding. This warning came from the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk.
In a notice sent out on Friday, February 14th, to education departments in all 50 states, public primary and secondary schools, as well as universities, were instructed to dismantle all DEI programs within 14 days or potentially face the loss of federal funding.
Craig Trainor, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education, stated in the communication, “Institutions that fail to comply with federal civil rights laws face the risk of losing federal funding under applicable laws.”
The letter referenced a Supreme Court case which ruled that Harvard University’s affirmative action policies in its admissions process violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
It was outlined in the letter that “the law is clear: according to relevant Supreme Court precedents, it is unlawful to treat students differently on the basis of race for vague goals such as diversity, racial balance, social justice, or fairness.”
The U.S. Department of Education mandated that all public educational institutions from kindergarten to universities must ensure their policies align with the law. After two weeks, the Department will begin assessments and tie federal funding to states’ compliance with the regulations.
On his first day in office, former President Trump issued an executive order to terminate DEI programs within the government. In accordance with the President’s executive order, the Department of Education has removed all DEI-related content from its documents and official website, disbanded the Diversity & Inclusion Council, and placed employees responsible for leading DEI programs on leave.