Latest news with #EndDEI
Forbes
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
How Did The Court Block The Trump Administration Anti-DEI Directive
STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT - JULY 17: Former Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon led all ... More presidential campaign donors from Connecticut, having given $813,000 to a joint fundraising committee affiliated with her former boss, Donald Trump. (Peter Casolino/New Haven Register via Getty Images) Thursday U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty blocked the Trump administration's anti-DEI directive to schools. The block applies only to public schools that work with the plaintiffs, the National Education Association, their New Hampshire affiliate, and the Center for Black Educator Development. Here's what went into the ruling. The administration policy opposing diversity, equity and inclusion policies was rolled out starting with a 'Dear Colleague' letter on February 14, the press release announcing their 'End DEI' portal on February 27, and an April 3rd message strongly suggesting that states and local school districts sign a pledge that they had a 'legal obligation' to follow the administration's interpretation of Title VI and linking that compliance to continue receiving federal funding. April 24 marked the due date for districts and states to sign. By that date, Matt Zalaznick reported for District Administration that many states, including Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland and New Hampshire had complied, while other states like Arizona were threatening individual districts that would not sign with a loss of funding. Education Week reported that 19 states said they would not sign. McCafferty's 82-page ruling opens with a pair of quotes from earlier cases to indicate the stakes of this case. Ours is a nation 'deeply committed to safeguarding academic freedom, which is of transcendent value to all of us and not merely to the teachers concerned.' Indeed, '[t]he Nation's future depends upon leaders trained through wide exposure to [a] robust exchange of ideas which discovers truth out of a multitude of tongues, [rather] than through any kind of authoritative selection.' McCafferty is quite clear on the chilling nature of the administration actions. For many schools, loss of federal funding would be crippling. It is predictable—if not obvious— that such schools will eliminate all vestiges of DEI to avoid even the possibility of funding termination. Although the 2025 Letter does not make clear what exactly it prohibits, it makes at least one thing clear: schools should not come close to anything that could be considered 'DEI,' lest they be deemed to have guessed wrong in violation of the 2025 Letter's vague and expansive prohibitions. She cites numerous examples of exactly that resultant chilling effect. The administration argues that the letter does not prohibit teachers from teaching certain books or the history of race, racism, gender, or other topics, but the court holds that assurance up against the language of the End DEI portal with its encouragement to parents to 'share the receipts of the betrayal that has happened in our public schools.' McCafferty rules that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their case, due to several factors. First, vagueness. The letter is clear on consequences ("face potential loss of federal funding") but not on the actual behaviors being prohibited. McCafferty finds the administration definition of 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' to be 'ocean-wide' and its examples are far removed from the dictionary or generally understood meanings of the words. She cites several teachers who talk about how the vagueness leaves them uncertain whether or not they may teach material such as historical imperialism or the themes in 'Heart of Darkness.' The administration argues that it is simply directing schools not to use DEI programs as cover to engage in racial harassment. Yet, McCafferty points out, they offer no explanation how DEI could be used in such a way. [T]he 2025 Letter does not define this term, but on its face it concerns a consciousness or awareness of one's race or others' races. How is it possible to engage in DEI programming that ignores race? The 2025 Letter is silent. Nor does the administration's website say it intends to end that 'cover' version of DEI, but aims to 'End DEI," not particular uses or versions of it. An FAQ doesn't help, 'clarifying' by the use of terms like 'veil discrimination policies' and 'social-emotional learning"-- terms that serve a special coded understanding for conservative anti-DEI activists, but not for those who read them in simple plain English. McCafferty rules that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on First Amendment grounds, noting that the letter 'targets speech based on viewpoint.' A professor runs afoul of the 2025 Letter if she expresses the view in her teaching that structural racism exists in America, but does not do so if she denies structural racism's existence. That is textbook viewpoint discrimination. McCafferty also sees that this is an attempt to coerce third parties to punish or suppress disfavored speech on their behalf by getting state and district officials to force teachers to stop delivering the disfavored lessons. But what is illegal directly is illegal indirectly. McCafferty further sees the plaintiffs winning on the grounds of overstepping authority by the Trump administration. By law, the Department of Education is expressly forbidden 'to exercise any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system.' By prohibiting teaching of certain concepts, the anti-DEI initiative oversteps the limits of department powers. Nor does McCafferty think the Department can hide behind calling its directive an interpretation of the law; the letter, she writes, is a legislative rule, and the obligations imposed are new. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure requires the plaintiff in a case like this to post a bond against damage that the defendants may suffer if they turn out to have been wrongfully enjoined. McCafferty orders a bond of $50. The Trump administration's anti-DEI initiative has depended on language that is plain enough on its face, but is meant to convey other layers of meaning, particularly to those involved in the culture wars. That has allowed the effect of the government simultaneously saying 'Don't teach about racial issues' and 'Of course you can teach about racial issues,' leaving educators to try to figure out where the lines are truly drawn in a game with very high professional stakes. For the moment, the court has told the Department of Education to take a step back. The Department has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal judge in NH blocks Trump administration's threats over DEI in schools
CONCORD — A New Hampshire federal judge has barred the U.S. Department of Education from carrying out its threats to pull federal funding from public schools that don't eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs and initiatives. Judge Landya McCafferty issued a preliminary injunction Thursday blocking the U.S. Department of Education, led by Secretary Linda McMahon, from enforcing numerous threats made to American public schools since the start of President Donald Trump's second term. The order states the U.S. Department of Education cannot enforce a February 'Dear Colleague' letter and an April federal civil rights compliance certification form, which both threaten federal funding being removed from public schools. McCafferty's order also blocks the U.S. Department of Education from taking action against any school district at the heart of any complaint made via the agency's 'End DEI' online portal, which encourages reports about 'illegal discriminatory practices at institutions of learning,' according to the website. McCafferty wrote Thursday the defendant cannot enforce any action against 'the plaintiffs, their members, and any entity that employs, contracts with, or works with one or more plaintiffs or one or more of plaintiffs' members.' "The ban on DEI embodied in the 2025 ('Dear Colleague') Letter leaves teachers with a Hobson's choice," McCafferty wrote Thursday. "If they fail to abide by the ill-defined standards set forth in the letter, they leave themselves open to (1) their school's decision to terminate their employment or curb their work in order to preserve essential federal funding, (2) public ostracization based on one person's view of what 'DEI' is, or (3) potential disciplinary proceedings that put their license at risk. But even if they endeavor to abide by the 2025 Letter's requirements, they risk failing to comply with certification requirements necessary for retention of their professional credentials. All while not being afforded a reasonable opportunity to know what the 2025 Letter even requires of them. The Constitution requires more." The Trump administration's crusade against DEI programming in American public schools took center stage in New Hampshire, as the National Education Association and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education. The Center for Black Educator Development is another co-plaintiff, and three local school districts - the Dover, Oyster River and Somersworth school systems - make up another small group planning to sign on to the lawsuit. A hearing on the three plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction was held at the Warren G. Rudman U.S. Courthouse Concord on Thursday, April 17. Their entire request for injunction was granted Thursday with McCafferty's order. "This injunction shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect pending further order of this court," her order adds. Sarah Hinger, a national ACLU attorney and deputy director of its Racial Justice Program, led the plaintiffs' arguments last week. She and Gilles Bissonnette, the legal director for the ACLU of New Hampshire, called McCafferty's ruling a victory for "academic freedom" in the United States. "Every student deserves an education that reflects the full diversity of our society, free from political interference,' Hinger said in a prepared statement. 'The federal government has no authority to dictate what schools can and cannot teach to serve its own agenda, and this ruling is an important step in reaffirming that.' "Every student, both in the Granite State and across the country, deserves to feel seen, heard, and connected in school - and that can't happen when classroom censorship laws and policies are allowed to stand," Bissonnette added in his own prepared statement. U.S. Department of Education attorney Abhishek Kambli indicated in the Concord courthouse last week the agency would appeal if McCafferty ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. Over 160 New Hampshire public school districts — including all of SAU 50 (comprising Greenland, New Castle, Newington and Rye students) and the Hampton and Seabrook districts — all signed and submitted the certification form due Thursday, per the New Hampshire Department of Education's compliance tracker. There were several holdouts, including the Dover, Oyster River and Somersworth school districts. More: Exeter area SAU 16 board votes to sign DEI compliance order. Here's why. The New Hampshire Department of Education required all state public school districts to fill out the form by last Thursday, April 17, though the U.S. Department of Education's deadline was set for Thursday. The Exeter area SAU 16 Joint Board voted Monday to authorize Superintendent Esther Asbell to sign the federal compliance form, believing it is in compliance already. SAU 16 represents students from the Brentwood, East Kingston, Exeter, Kensington, Newfields and Stratham school districts, in addition to the Exeter Region Cooperative School District. The Portsmouth school district submitted the certification this month but rescinded it days later. SAU 52 intended to join the federal lawsuit alongside other area school districts but has dropped the plan for now. Susan Morrell, Portsmouth's city attorney, briefed the City Council on the matter Monday evening. 'The city will continue to follow this lawsuit carefully and take its own actions in regard to the certification letters that are being demanded,' Morrell said. 'If there is an injunction, we believe that we'll be protected under that umbrella, as well, even though we're not part of that lawsuit.' (This story has been updated with new information.) This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Judge in NH blocks Trump administration's threats over DEI in schools
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Federal judge blocks Trump from carrying out threats to schools over DEI
Federal judge blocks Trump from carrying out threats to schools over DEI Show Caption Hide Caption Pres. Trump signs new order on DEI at schools President Trump signed two new executive orders related to education and diversity. Fox - Fox 9 CONCORD – A New Hampshire federal judge has barred the U.S. Department of Education from carrying out its threats to pull federal funding from public schools that don't eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs and initiatives. More: Government watchdog declares DEI dead at the Pentagon Judge Landya McCafferty issued a sweeping order April 24 blocking the Education Department, led by Secretary Linda McMahon, from enforcing numerous threats the executive branch has issued to American public schools during President Donald Trump's second term. The order states the federal Education Department cannot enforce a February 'Dear Colleague' letter and an April federal civil rights compliance certification form, which both threaten federal funding being removed from public schools. McCafferty's order also blocks the Education Department from taking action against any school district at the heart of any complaint made via the agency's 'End DEI' online portal, which encourages reports about 'illegal discriminatory practices at institutions of learning,' according to the website. McCafferty wrote April 24 the defendant cannot enforce any action against 'the plaintiffs, their members, and any entity that employs, contracts with, or works with one or more plaintiffs or one or more of (the) plaintiffs' members.' "This injunction shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect pending further order of this court," McCafferty's order states. More: Pres. Trump signs new order on DEI at schools The Trump administration's crusade against DEI programming in American public schools took center stage in New Hampshire, as the National Education Association and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education. The Center for Black Educator Development is another plaintiff, and three local school districts – the Dover, Oyster River and Somersworth school systems – make up another small group planning to sign on to the lawsuit. A hearing on the three plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction was held at the Warren G. Rudman U.S. Courthouse in Concord on April 17. Their entire request for injunction was granted a week later, on April 24, with McCafferty's order. Department of Education will likely appeal Abhishek Kambli, the attorney representing the U.S. Department of Education, indicated in the Concord courthouse at the first hearing that the agency would appeal if McCafferty ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. Over 160 New Hampshire public school districts – including 50 school administrative units (comprising Greenland, New Castle, Newington and Rye students) and the Hampton and Seabrook districts – signed and submitted the certification form, per the New Hampshire Department of Education's compliance tracker. There were several holdouts, including the Dover, Oyster River and Somersworth school districts. The New Hampshire Department of Education required all state public school districts to fill out the form by April 17, though the U.S. Department of Education's deadline was set a week later, on April 24. A joint board for the schools voted Monday to authorize Superintendent Esther Asbell to sign the federal compliance form for students from the Brentwood, East Kingston, Exeter, Kensington, Newfields and Stratham school districts, in addition to the Exeter Region Cooperative School District.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Education Department Asked for Reports of DEI. It Might Get Something Else
In 2022, newly elected Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin launched a tip line for parents to report lessons that made children feel guilty about the color of their skin. His aim was to address growing conservative alarm about the proliferation of critical race theory and other so-called 'divisive concepts' in the classroom. But the result was something else. Parents bombarded the dedicated email address with off-topic rants on issues from kids using outdated textbooks to districts that failed to pay for special education evaluations. In the end, the process likely attracted more critics than supporters to the governor's cause. Singer John Legend urged Black parents to 'flood' the governor with complaints about 'history being silenced.' The state shut the tip line down nine months later, offering scant evidence of indoctrination. A New Hampshire project met a similar fate. State officials disabled it last year after a federal judge ruled that the state's 2021 'banned concepts' laws that restricted lessons on LGBTQ issues and racial history were too vague. But in Oklahoma, a school safety alert system that Superintendent Ryan Walters uses to expose and punish what he calls the 'radical left' hit its target. Five complaints pointed to books that Walters deemed 'pornographic' in a district north of Oklahoma City. His accusation sparked a legal battle over whether the state chief could control the contents of school libraries. Richard Cobb, superintendent of the Mid-Del Schools, outside Oklahoma City, called the online system 'a huge overreach.' 'It's frustrating because anyone can report anything,' he said. 'Then the burden is on us to prove our innocence.' And for many educators, there's the rub — especially now that the Trump administration has made combating diversity, equity and inclusion an urgent national priority. Related On Feb. 27, the U.S. Department of Education launched the End DEI portal. Its name leaves no doubt about its purpose — to uncover and eradicate examples of diversity, equity and inclusion in more than 100,000 schools across the nation. In a statement, Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice urged parents to 'share the receipts of the betrayal that has happened in our public schools.' Trump made the issue a hallmark of his campaign, calling such policies 'absolute nonsense' and 'illegal.' On the department's portal, a simple online form invites parents to report 'illegal discriminatory practices' that the department will use to launch investigations. But the department didn't say what made DEI illegal, and the concept has proved notoriously difficult to define. Schools have implemented race-focused activities like privilege walks in elementary school, drawing backlash from parents who say the lessons make their children feel ashamed. But others have blocked lessons of clear historical significance, such as a movie about Ruby Bridges, the first Black child to attend a school in New Orleans. Even in its attempt to eliminate DEI, the department has found the concept to be something of a moving target. The launch of the portal followed a stern Feb. 14 warning from the Office for Civil Rights that districts could face investigation if they treat 'students differently on the basis of race.' In response, some teachers steered away from lessons on Black history. A day after unveiling the portal, however, officials followed up with a more toned-down memo, explaining that cultural observances like Black History Month and International Holocaust Remembrance Day would be acceptable as long as all students, regardless of race, are welcome to participate. But the department recently resumed the offensive. Last week, it told states and districts to sign a document certifying that they have eliminated DEI practices or risk losing millions of dollars in federal funding. The department has since extended the deadline until April 24, said Madi Biedermann, a department spokeswoman. Related New York is among a handful of states that has indicated it won't sign. Washington state Superintendent Chris Reykdal called the department's ultimatum 'an assault on the autonomy of states' and said it would be 'irresponsible' to sign the certification. California also seems to be leaning that way. In an emailed statement, the state education agency called the demand 'another attempt to impose a national ideology on local schools by threatening to withhold vital resources for students.' Adding to the outsize stakes is the way the Trump administration has weaponized the issue, canceling grants and firing staff connected with even tangential connections to DEI work. In some cases, it has used DEI as an excuse to challenge legitimate history and bolster thinly veiled discrimination. Using artificial intelligence to comb through over 1,000 web pages, the Pentagon eliminated references to notable achievements among minority members of the military. In January, Trump blamed DEI for a fatal mid-air collision between a helicopter and a plane over the Potomac River. Those who have worked in states that have implemented tip lines expect End DEI to meet with a similar flurry of confusion, tangents, spam, personal grievances — and a chill on important classroom discussions. 'I can see the parallel' with Oklahoma, Cobb said. 'We've seen the Trump administration bully powerful law firms and Ivy League schools into submission. I imagine they would have zero qualms about applying similar pressure to individuals or school districts.' The department's move comes amid deep national divisions about DEI. A January poll by The Economist and YouGov found a roughly even split, with 45% in favor of ending such programs in government and schools, and 40% opposed. As Trump took office on Jan. 20, another survey attempted to gauge the effects of critical race theory on classroom instruction. The results were similarly mixed. Fifty-eight percent of high school students reported that their teachers frequently make comments like, 'We must be actively anti-racist,' while 42% responded that teachers support the Black Lives Matter movement. At the same time, 77% said their teachers either never or rarely made them feel uncomfortable about disagreeing with their point of view. Brian Kisida, a government and public affairs professor at the University of Missouri and a lead author of the study, said the department's portal could give parents a vehicle for reporting actual discrimination against their children. But he expressed concern that the likely result would be to magnify the polarization it is designed to eradicate, saying 'this snitch line mentality can do more harm than good.' 'I expect many of these disputes could be solved if parents and educators just had good-faith conversations with each other, and both sides would likely learn something in the process,' he said. Related Some wonder how the department can thoughtfully navigate the issues, given the dramatic cuts to the program that normally would have been responsible for investigating discrimination complaints: the department's civil rights office. Education Secretary Linda McMahon eliminated half of the OCR staff along with seven regional offices that handle investigations. With its remaining employees, the department redirected civil rights enforcement toward administration priorities like ending antisemitic protests on college campuses and keeping transgender students out of girls' sports. 'If you're dismantling the Department of Education and moving everything somewhere else, who are these people that are going to do the investigation?' asked LaToya Baldwin Clark, a law professor at the University of California Los Angeles who tracks anti-CRT legislation. 'Who are these people that actually do any type of enforcement?' Biedermann, the department spokeswoman, would not say who is reviewing the submissions or whether officials have followed up on any tips. But unlike the Department of Defense, she said staff members at the department — not AI — will review submissions to identify potential areas for investigation. Biederman offered no information on how many reports the system has received, but Marleigh Schaefer, a spokeswoman for Moms for Liberty, said 'thousands of parents have submitted to the portal.' One of them is Lauren McDonough, part of a Texas conservative group called Families Engaged. In her complaint to the department, she described her failed attempts to get the Richardson Independent School District to pass a policy requiring students to use bathrooms that match their sex assigned at birth. She became concerned after learning that a trans girl in first grade attends her daughters' school. In an email, a district official told her that schools consider transgender students' requests on a case-by-case basis. 'I was like 'What the heck, it takes five minutes,' ' McDonough said of the form. 'If something comes of it, great, but my hopes are very low. I feel like I have to exhaust my resources as a parent.' Biedermann said people who make submissions shouldn't necessarily expect a response and described the portal as a 'tool to identify where and if there are pockets or patterns of … violations.' Not surprisingly, the site, created by staff from billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, fell prey to pranks. 'Y'all know what to do …Copy the Bee Movie script,' one critic posted on X — a reference to an internet joke about sending the entire script from the 2014 movie to crash a site. Three former staffers at the department said in the rush to get the portal up, the site went down within 12 hours. 'We were laughing about it,' said a former employee who asked to remain anonymous to protect colleagues still at the department. Biedermann acknowledged that the portal was initially overwhelmed, but said it resumed operations in about an hour and is now working smoothly. Related In Virginia, Youngkin set up his special email address to make good on a promise to listen to parents' concerns. His successful run for governor in 2021 tapped into deep anger over remote learning and fears that critical race theory was infiltrating classrooms. An academic principle usually reserved for graduate schools, CRT argues that racism is built into the fabric of American institutions. As governor, Youngkin's first executive order banned classroom lessons based on CRT. On a conservative radio show, he promoted the tip line as a way to track down 'inherently divisive teaching practices.' He called out the Fairfax County district for a high school English assignment, titled Privilege Bingo, that was intended to teach students about diverse perspectives. The squares on the bingo card listed features such as being white, Christian, male and able-bodied. On the local news, an Army veteran complained that the lesson listed being part of a military family as an example of privilege. The district apologized and revised the activity, but said it remained committed to teaching students how to understand multiple viewpoints. Youngkin pledged to wipe out similar lessons from Virginia classrooms. 'We're going to make sure that we catalog it all,' he said. But the effort didn't go as planned. Teachers in the Prince William County district, next to Fairfax, thought it was a joke. They even ordered custom T-shirts that read 'Hi tip line? I'd like to report Virginia teachers for being incredible at what they do. Thanks Bye.' 'We just couldn't believe that they were going to spend tax dollars to run this tip line, but not fully fund our schools to decrease class sizes,' said Angie Trerotola, a high school social studies teacher in Prince William. Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update got into the act. Co-anchor Colin Jost quipped, 'You know you're racist when you call the cops about a Black character in a book.' In response to public records requests, the governor's staff initially refused to release submissions to the tip line. But when several news outlets sued, the governor turned over 350 emails as part of a settlement, few of which pointed to lessons Youngkin was trying to eliminate. A spokesman referred The 74 to a statement it released in the fall of 2022 explaining that it discontinued the tip line because it was 'receiving little to no volume.' A similar tip line in Rhode Island also failed to gain traction. The Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity, a nonprofit, launched one at the height of outrage and confusion over how schools were teaching racial issues. It called on parents to ''name names' of those indoctrinating our kids.' The free market think tank and the conservative Civics Alliance collaborated on a 2023 report that said state social studies standards are 'animated by a radical identity-politics ideology' and show 'hostility toward America.' The standards expect students to study Latino history, workers' rights and feminism, they wrote, but distort 'history where white men played the leading roles.' More recently, Mike Stenhouse, the center's CEO, warned state officials that a policy that recognizes transgender students and protects their decision to use restrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity puts them at risk of a civil rights investigation by the Trump administration. But after four years, the group's tip line had nothing to show for it, Stenhouse said in an email. The line 'has not yielded any notable results' or received many 'credible responses,' he said. Stenhouse blamed the lack of participation on the center's failure to adequately promote the site. In Oklahoma, Superintendent Walters has had more success getting the public's help. His predecessor, Joy Hofmeister, launched a website called Awareity to report school security risks. Walters turned to it to seek out educators and districts violating a state law banning divisive concepts and his own mandates. Five complaints last year focused on two books in the Edmond School District's high school libraries. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, is an award-winning bestseller about an Afghan boy's relationship with his father set against the backdrop of the Soviet-Afghan war, and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a memoir about growing up in a dysfunctional family. Both books include descriptions of sexual assault. Walters threatened to downgrade the district's accreditation if they didn't remove them. When the district sued over his rule, Walters said it had chosen to 'peddle porn and is leading the charge to undermine parents in Oklahoma.' Related Cobb, the Mid-Del superintendent, didn't pull the books, but others preemptively removed the titles and similar ones Walters labeled 'filth.' 'I guess we all have to make our own decisions,' Cobb said. 'But I'd rather stand up and fight than comply in advance with something that is wrong.' Walters lost the case Edmond brought against him last year. The Oklahoma Supreme Court accused the superintendent of acting with 'unauthorized quasi-judicial authority' and said decisions over library materials are up to local districts. The option to report 'pornographic materials or sexualized content' no longer appears in Awareity's dropdown menu. The public also can no longer use it to report that a teacher is violating the state's divisive concepts law. Last June, a federal judge temporarily blocked parts of the legislation, finding some of the language confusing for teachers to follow. But Walters has a new use for Awareity. The public can report a 'violation of religious liberty and patriotism rights.' Those categories complement his controversial mandate for teachers to use the Bible in the classroom and guidance that students should be allowed to fly and display the American flag 'without infringement.' 'It's like the soup du jour — whatever issues seem to be playing well at the current time,' said Brendon Hoover, coordinator at the Kirkpatrick Policy Group, which advocates for schools having full-time librarians. He worked with Oklahoma Appleseed for Law and Justice, a nonprofit law firm, to file an open records request for Awareity files. Complaints included objections to schools offering Stamped, by anti-racist author Ibram Kendi, and a middle school book fair featuring selections from the LGBTQ-themed Heartstopper series of graphic novels. The Oklahoma Department of Education did not respond to questions about Awareity. Related Hoover blames the current atmosphere surrounding classroom instruction for contributing to an exodus of teachers from the profession and the state. Last year, Oklahoma approved nearly 4,700 emergency certifications for teachers to fill vacancies, breaking a previous record, the Oklahoma Voice reported. 'Oklahoma has a huge teacher shortage,' Hoover said, 'and it's because teachers are under attack by their own state Superintendent.' One former Oklahoma health teacher got tired of being a target. Describing herself as a 'blue drop in a red sea,' she said the threat of being reported for discussing racial issues was one reason she left the classroom in 2022. She stopped teaching a lesson about how the slave trade likely contributed to Black Americans' genetic predisposition to certain diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. After parents complained, an administrator encouraged her to drop the material from her curriculum. 'What the parents heard was, 'White folks did this to Black folks,' ' said the teacher, who asked to remain anonymous to protect future job prospects. UCLA's Clark said she expects the new End DEI portal to create a similar chill. 'These mechanisms to surveil and to monitor teachers and principals are ripe for reports that are not serious or not given in good faith,' she said. Ultimately, she said, 'the purpose is to get people to self-censor.'
Reuters
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
US warns public schools of legal action, withholding funds over DEI
WASHINGTON, April 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. Education Department warned on Thursday it would withhold federal funds from public schools and take legal actions if they continued with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that the administration of President Donald Trump has attempted to dismantle. In letters sent to top state education officials, the federal Education Department said public schools that continue with DEI "may incur substantial liabilities, including the potential initiation of litigation for breach of contract by the Department of Justice." The letter said state officials have 10 days to sign a document certifying their schools are in "compliance with their anti-discrimination obligations." Since taking office on January 20, Trump has taken multiple steps to dismantle DEI in the government and private sector, including through executive orders, threats to suspend federal funding and firing of those who worked in such initiatives in the government. Civil rights advocates say DEI efforts help uplift marginalized groups and address the continued effects of historical and generational inequity. They have condemned the Trump administration. Trump and his allies say DEI unfairly discriminates against groups such as white people and men. "Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right. When state education commissioners accept federal funds, they agree to abide by federal anti-discrimination requirements," the Education Department said, while announcing the letters sent to state commissioners overseeing K-12 state education agencies. In mid-February, the Trump administration warned of funding cuts to academic institutions over DEI. Later that month, the U.S. Education Department launched a portal called "End DEI" where the public could complain about DEI initiatives in publicly-funded K-12 schools. The Trump administration has also threatened universities and colleges with withholding federal funds over other issues like transgender policies and pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel's military assault on Gaza.
