AZ education chief gives ultimatum to Kyrene School District amid DEI spat: Here's what to know
The Brief
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is threatening Kyrene School District with loss of funding.
The spat is over a reference to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in district policies.
Kyrene has been given an April 24 deadline to remove the DEI language.
PHOENIX - The Kyrene School District, which serves students in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix and parts of Tempe and Chandler, has a week and a half to get rid of any reference to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in its policies, according to Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, or it will lose more than $1.5 million in funding.
"If they don't sign an attestation that they don't use DEI, they will lose their federal funding," said Horne.
Here's what to know.
As mentioned above, the dispute over funding has to do with Kyrene's DEI policy.
The backstory
In April, the district's governing board approved a policy that includes a commitment to DEI.
"The Kyrene Promise pledges 'to provide welcoming, inclusive learning environments in which every student is honored, valued, and feels a strong sense of belonging and purpose.' We stand behind that commitment," read a statement district superintendent Laura Toenjes gave us previously. "All Kyrene policies, including policies around inclusion and social-emotional wellness, are in compliance with state and federal law, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. I encourage anyone with questions to read the language in Kyrene's policies, some of it pulled directly from Title VI."
The other side
The board made the decision after the Trump Administration told schools to drop it, or risk forfeiting federal funding. Horne eventually got wind of what the governing board did, and issued the ultimatum.
Horne said it's not about compliance. He said the matter is philosophical. He said stressing an emphasis on racial entitlements over merit breeds mediocrity.
"I'm glad that the Federal government is helping us now, to get us back on track, and treat people as individuals and concern ourselves their academic progress and their character, and not what race their in," said Horne.
Amid a spat over the matter, Kyrene's governing board president spoke out on the policy they approved.
What Kevin Walsh said
"There's a lot of misconception about what diversity, equity and inclusion looks like, and what that work is in schools," said Walsh. "I invite anyone to look at our policy. Look at the actual policy in Kyrene. Look at our practices. It's not about quotas. It's not about discriminatory practices. It's about including everyone, all students."
Why you should care
Kyrene has four Title I schools, which rely on that money to provide education to low-income students. The district has high concentrations of low-income students, many of which are minorities.
"We know that that is something that the president is focused on, and we firmly believe that we are compliant with all laws. We are not engaging in any discriminatory practices whatsoever," said Walsh.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has issued a statement that is critical of Horne.
What AG Mayes Wrote
"Last week, Superintendent Horne threatened to withhold more than $1.5 million in federal funding from the Kyrene School District—not because the district broke any laws, but because it proposed a policy that signaled the Districts' commitment to creating a kind, empathetic and respectful workplace.
Superintendent Horne cited no legal basis for his threat— because, in fact, there is none.
The funding he's threatening to block supports low-income students, teacher training, and other classroom programs. Rather than do his job and ensure that funds appropriated by Congress and the Legislature reach Arizona schools—as the law requires—Superintendent Horne is choosing to engage in ideological nonsense at the expense of students and teachers.
Arizona schools should, as always, follow all applicable state and federal laws. But they should feel free to ignore baseless, politicized threats from the State Superintendent's office, which has no legitimate role whatsoever in blocking the distribution of these federal funds."
What's next
The state's education department has given Kyrene's governing board until April 24 to comply.
Horne said he has hired an investigator who will report back to him what they decide to do.
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WASHINGTON -- Days before she was to deliver opening remarks to World Pride's human rights conference in Washington, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, the co-founder of UK Black Pride, said she was denied entry to the United States after her visa was revoked due to her travels to Cuba earlier this year. Opoku-Gyimah, widely known as Lady Phyll, said she applied immediately for a nonimmigrant visa. The earliest date she was given: September. 'I've called. I've written. I've pleaded,' she said over a video livestream. 'And the answer was a cold, bureaucratic 'No.'' Many LGBTQ+ travelers have expressed concerns or decided to skip World Pride due to anxieties about safety, border policies and a hostile political climate. Yet cross-national strategizing has still been central to the gathering as international attendees echoed that they wanted to send a clear message of opposition to U.S. officials with their presence. 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He has denounced DEI policies as a form of discrimination that threatens merit-based decision-making. Several countries, including Denmark, Finland and Germany, issued cautions for LGBTQ+ travelers visiting the U.S. for World Pride, culminates in a closing festival this weekend with a parade, a rally and concerts. Capital Pride Alliance, which organized World Pride D.C., included an advisory for transgender and nonbinary international travelers alongside security protocols. Egale Canada, one of the country's largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, announced in February that its members would not attend any events in the U.S. through June, including World Pride. It cited concerns for transgender and nonbinary staff members. 'I didn't feel it was safe to have our staff crossing into the U.S. with the current hostilities, through legislation and rhetoric,' said Helen Kennedy, the organization's executive director. 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As an increasing number of international travelers have expressed anxiety, John Tanzella, president of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, said he has assured people that Washington is an inclusive city but advised them to stay informed of local policies, connect with LGBTQ+ organizations on the ground and book with trusted businesses with track records of inclusion. The organization is working on guidance for transgender and nonbinary travelers in the U.S. for the World Pride parade and march. 'Safety always comes up, especially in the current climate, but there's also a deep desire to bring our community together,' he said. 'For many, World Pride in Washington, D.C., feels extra meaningful given its location. There's caution, yes, but above all, people want to show up, be seen and be heard.' Benoit's friends had warned her not to travel to the U.S., and her anxiety was mounting in the days leading up to her flight. She planned to avoid telling customs agents she was traveling for World Pride. But when that information surfaced, she said agents took her passport and asked her questions for an additional hour about where she was staying and for how long. Still, she said, it is more important now than ever to 'send a message to Trump in his own backyard" and to embrace the global nature of World Pride. 'The ability to bring people together to understand how interconnected everything is, how this harmful rhetoric may bleed over to other countries, is really important," she said. 'And it's an opportunity to access resources and people you may not have access to back home.' Essy Adhiambo, executive director of the Initiative for Equality and Non Discrimination, deleted all the social media apps on her phone before her 35-hour journey from Mombasa, Kenya, worrying that her phone might be searched. Still, Adhiambo said being visible as an international LGBTQ+ community is powerful amid threats to the community across the globe. 'We must continue to protest in the current context we are in," she said. "Those of us who are able to make this journey have to hold space for those who could not, especially our trans siblings. We want to amplify our message on the land of the people who are supporting homophobia.' Nikki Phinyapincha, co-founder of Trans Pride Thailand, set off on a 25-hour journey to World Pride from Thailand after issuing a travel advisory from her organization for Thai LGBTQ+ people. 'The political climate and instability is not new, but it makes it more important that we are here," she said. "We need to keep doing this work, strategizing together and being adaptive.' For people from marginalized communities, Opoku-Gyimah said, 'just traveling to speak truth can often feel like a mountain.' 'We have to prove our worth at every border, every checkpoint,' she said. Yet Opoku-Gyimah applauded the international nature of World Pride amid "connected, coordinated ... and increasingly violent" attacks against LGBTQ+ communities across the globe. She said the U.S. government's rolling back of DEI initiatives, protections for the transgender community and reproductive rights have had ripple effects abroad, including in the U.K. 'When the U.S. sneezes," she said, 'other parts of the world catch that cold.'
