Latest news with #anti-D.E.I.
New York Times
17-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Targets K-12
Harvard might be the most famous educational institution opposing President Trump's threats of funding cuts and a federal takeover, but it's not the only one. Another legal battle is brewing that affects a far different, and far larger, group of students. The Trump administration is threatening to withhold billions of federal dollars from public schools that serve low-income children, unless they sign documents attesting that they do not use 'illegal D.E.I. practices.' Those funds pay for, among other things, teachers' aides, counselors and free meals. The threats may not have much of an effect in Republican-led states, many of which already have anti-D.E.I. laws on the books. But many schools in Democratic-led states have programs and policies regarding race and gender that Trump considers illegal. Last week, the administration announced that it was moving to cancel federal funding to all schools in Maine because of its rules regarding transgender athletes. It has threatened to do the same in California because of the state's policies around parental notification and transgender students. Education officials in about a dozen states, mostly liberal, have refused to adopt Trump's directives. And advocacy groups like the A.C.L.U. and the N.A.A.C.P. have filed lawsuits challenging the threatened cuts. One of those is set to go before a federal judge in New Hampshire today. In today's newsletter, I'll explain why the president is taking on K-12 education, and how officials are responding. What Trump believes The Trump administration has set out its case in a series of executive orders and memos. It believes that when schools allow transgender students to play on the sports teams or use the bathrooms of their choice, they are violating the rights of girls under Title IX. And it believes that D.E.I. programs violate the Civil Rights Act, which prevents discrimination based on race, color or national origin. The administration has not offered a detailed definition of D.E.I. But it has argued that programs that separate students by race in order to provide targeted support are a form of illegal segregation. That could include mentoring programs intended to raise graduation rates for Black boys, or tutoring to increase Black and Hispanic students' enrollment in advanced courses. The Trump administration has also argued that teaching about concepts like white privilege is discriminatory toward white students. Those concepts, however, are central to ethnic studies courses, which are increasingly common in K-12 schools in liberal states. In some states, including California, agreeing to Trump's demands would put school districts in violation of state laws that lay out the curriculum and prescribe the ways schools must handle issues of race and gender. The local control paradox And here lies a major paradox: For decades, many liberals have argued that the federal government should play a bigger role in K-12 education. They have called for national curriculum standards and greater financial support. Conservatives, including Trump, have often said that the federal government should allow states to chart their own educational paths. Now, however, the American tradition of local control of schools is what allows liberal states and districts to push back against a more muscular federal approach. In the case that will be heard today in New Hampshire, the nation's largest teachers' union and the A.C.L.U. will argue that Trump's threat to withhold funding violates congressional regulations that prohibit the federal government from exercising control over local curriculum and instruction. The plaintiffs will also argue that the administration's ban on D.E.I. in education is unconstitutionally vague and presents a threat to students' and teachers' free speech rights. The government will respond that the 2023 ban on affirmative action in college admissions set a precedent for ending all school programs that favor one racial group over another, even in K-12 education. This dispute may ultimately reach the Supreme Court. Have questions about Trump's funding cuts? Ask us here. We will respond to some questions in an upcoming newsletter. For more: The I.R.S. is considering whether to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status. Deportations Health U.S.-Iran Talks More on the Trump Administration More on Politics International Opinions The location data of three billion Facebook users provide an extraordinary view of human migration. Explore an interactive globe, which uses estimates from Meta. Universities must resist Trump's intimidation tactics just as Harvard did. No college should lose its First Amendment freedoms without a fight, the Editorial Board writes. Here are columns by Nicholas Kristof on Trump's autocratic style and Jamelle Bouie on the wrongly deported Maryland man. 2,143 species: For mushroom hunters, New York City is a land of abundance. Ask Well: If cancer runs in your family, there are steps you can take to lower your risk. Social Q's: 'How do I tell my old friend that his new partner is a dud?' Relic: Van Gogh painted his final work, 'Tree Roots,' in the French village of Auvers-sur-Oise. The roots still exist, igniting a fight over their preservation. Most clicked yesterday: Late night hosts joked about Harvard's Trump rejection letter. Trending online yesterday: Gayle King responded to critics who said she shouldn't go to space: 'Have you been?' she asked. Read more in Vulture. Lives Lived: Tim Mohr was an American who worked as a D.J. and freelance writer in Berlin in the 1990s. He used his experiences to produce sensitive English translations of up-and-coming German writers. He died at 55. N.B.A.: The Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat kept their playoff hopes intact with wins in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Read takeaways. College football: The former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is expected to transfer to U.C.L.A. after a contract dispute. Softball: Kim Ng, a former M.L.B. executive, will serve as commissioner of the upstart Athletes Unlimited Softball League, which opens its regular season in June. Thousands of visitors set out for Antarctica each year from Ushuaia, a port city in Argentina that proudly calls itself the 'end of the world.' The explosion of tourism has brought prosperity to Ushuaia's 83,000 residents but has also taxed its resources and raised the cost of living. The remoteness of the city makes the strain worse. Read more about Ushuaia here. More on culture Cover scalloped potatoes with a creamy sauce, then broil in the oven. Watch a new Agatha Christie adaptation. Visit London on the cheap. Stop killing your houseplants. Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was elegantly. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@
CBS News
21-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Anti-DEI investigation threatens opportunities for minority students at Towson University
45 universities including Towson University, are being investigated for alleged racial discrimination as part of the Trump administration's push to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs that officials say exclude White and Asian American students. "Towson is the only university in Maryland that's part of this group of 45 that's being investigated now by the federal government and that's a very high stakes issue," Ginsburg, President of Towson University, said. A week after the Trump administration launched the anti-D.E.I. investigation into Towson University, it's president, Dr. Mark Ginsburg, joined Senator Chris Van Hollen to speak to the Maryland General Assembly. "We have 20,000 students and about 60% of those students identify themselves as being from a racial or ethnic minority group. 20% of our students are first generation, first in their family to attend college," Ginsburg touted. More than 45 universities, including Towson, are facing pressure from the Trump administration over their ties to "The PhD Project," a non-profit that helps almost 300 minority students get degrees in doctoral programs. The anti-DEI investigation challenges the funds to keep providing this opportunity. "What's really at risk is the opportunity for students who wouldn't otherwise afford a college education to come to a high-quality university like Towson," Ginsburg explained. President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to dismantle the Department of Education, expanding the fight on several fronts. However, Senator Chris Van Hollen contends that the courts are showing the administration is breaking the law. "Just yesterday, a federal court judge in Boston ordered the Trump administration to pay $5 million in a federal grant for teacher training at Towson University because it was illegally withheld," Hollen said. "One has to step back and wonder what the real agenda is and where it's going," Ginsburg added. "I think the impact is almost incalculable and I think it's going to be a very turbulent time."
New York Times
10-02-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Alarmed, Employers Ask: What Is ‘Illegal D.E.I.'?
Companies that just one year ago celebrated Black History Month and stocked Pride products on their shelves are in a new phase — what some lawyers refer to as 'rainbow-hushing,' meaning dropping or quietly rebranding their diversity, equity and inclusion programs. They are retreating, or clamming up, as they brace for lawsuits encouraged by President Trump's war against D.E.I. Employers are walking a narrow path: They are trying to keep enough of their diversity efforts in place to remain protected from future discrimination lawsuits, while also avoiding Mr. Trump's ire, federal investigations and lawsuits from anti-D.E.I. conservatives. Some corporate initiatives that fall under the D.E.I. label — like mandatory training on avoiding bias and discrimination — were created to break down discriminatory barriers as the work force became more diverse. 'D.E.I. programming grew popular because it was responding to real challenges organizations were facing,' said Musa al-Gharbi, a sociologist and an assistant professor at Stony Brook University who has written extensively on diversity programs. 'Basically they're being told to do nothing about these problems. That seems nonviable from a legal standpoint.' Many types of D.E.I. programs could draw lawsuits now that Mr. Trump has signed an executive order threatening federal investigations for 'illegal D.E.I.,' a term that has caused widespread confusion and has lawyers scrambling to interpret what it might mean. 'We're in a brave new world,' said Jon Solorzano, a partner at Vinson & Elkins, who is counseling dozens of companies on their approaches to D.E.I. 'People are freaked out.' For private companies (at least those that are not federal contractors) the letter of the law on D.E.I. has not fundamentally changed. But the spirit of how it is interpreted and is expected to be enforced has undergone a major shift. The primary law on anti-discrimination in private-sector employment is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, legislation that came out of the civil rights movement, which says employers cannot make employment decisions on the basis of race, sex or other protected classes. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an independent agency, enforces this law, and changes in staffing there portend a shift in its approach. Mr. Trump quickly ousted two of the Democrats on the five-person commission. He named as acting chair a commissioner, Andrea Lucas, who said her priorities included 'rooting out unlawful D.E.I.-motivated race and sex discrimination.' 'Instead of focusing on discrimination against Black workers and women, they're going to focus on discrimination against majority groups in the form of D.E.I.,' said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University's law school. Mr. Trump also issued an executive order charging each federal agency to identify nine entities to investigate for 'illegal D.E.I.' A memo from the Department of Justice last week indicated that the department would be involved in enforcing the executive order and could introduce criminal investigations, a prospect that has left organizations 'quite alarmed,' Mr. Glasgow said. A coalition of professors, diversity officers and others has sued to block the executive order. Meanwhile, corporate executives are hustling to interpret what the administration means by 'illegal D.E.I.' The Supreme Court's 2023 decision striking down affirmative action in college admissions offers a clue. Though the court's decision did not extend to private-sector employment, lawyers are advising clients that fellowships, internships and mentorship programs that are open only to people of certain protected classes could now put them at legal risk. 'Anything that could be considered exclusive is, I believe, what the administration would say is illegal D.E.I.,' said Craig E. Leen, a partner in the employment practice at the law firm K&L Gates. Jocelyn Samuels, one of the Democrats removed from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by Mr. Trump, said she worried about the doubt being cast over D.E.I. programs, like collecting data on the diversity of a work force, which she views as lawful and important. 'It is a heartbreaking conundrum for employers,' Ms. Samuels said. Edward Blum, a lawyer who was the architect of the Supreme Court case that ended race-conscious college admissions, has since pressured several high-profile law firms to open up fellowship programs originally directed toward people from underrepresented groups. Mr. Blum said he believed that corporate counsel had known for a long time that such diversity programs were on legally tenuous ground. 'I don't think this is a head-scratcher for the legal community,' Mr. Blum said in an interview. 'They know now, and probably knew seven or eight years ago, that raising the bar for applications to their company based on an applicant's race and ethnicity really was problematic.' There are plenty of diversity programs that carry little legal risk, lawyers emphasize. Employee resource groups that are nonexclusive tend to be safe. That is also true of unconscious-bias training required for all staff, as well as educational events, Black History Month celebrations and mentoring workshops that are open to all. 'If it's not conferring a preference on any protected groups, I feel pretty good about those D.E.I. practices,' Mr. Glasgow said. But that leaves a lot of gray area. What if companies post language about diversity goals on their websites or share data with external groups like the Human Rights Campaign, which tracks L.G.B.T.Q. progress? Would doing so draw scrutiny from federal agencies? Mr. Solorzano said tying executive compensation to meeting diversity goals could put companies in the government's cross hairs, because it arguably offers people an incentive to make employment decisions on the basis of race or sex. Yet pulling back too far on D.E.I. could also put companies at risk. 'In a lot of firms, legal counsel tells the chief executive that if they get rid of diversity training it will look bad if they're ever sued for discrimination,' said Frank Dobbin, author of 'Getting to Diversity: What Works and What Doesn't.' Fair-employment lawyers, suddenly flooded with calls from frightened corporate clients, are developing a playbook for executives trying to protect themselves legally and politically. Mr. Solorzano has made a checklist of sorts for clients calling in a panic. He advises them to assess the different groups that they're accountable to in making any change on D.E.I. strategy: Will investors approve? Could consumers boycott? Will employees complain? Will talent look elsewhere for job opportunities? Consumer-facing companies like Target, which recently pulled back its D.E.I. commitments, or Costco, which has doubled down, have more complex factors to consider: They could face boycotts from either supporters or opponents of D.E.I. Mr. Solorzano also advises his clients to consider disclosing in their filings to investors the risk that they might be sued or boycotted because of their diversity programs. Target offers an example of the bind that so many companies now face: It is being sued by shareholders who claim that it concealed the risks of its D.E.I. approach. It is also facing calls for a boycott from consumers who support D.E.I. and are upset about the rollback. Not all the criticism of identity-based programs comes from the right. Some on the far left view corporate D.E.I. as a distraction from labor organizing that would address economic inequality. Even some people who have created and led diversity programs across the private sector feel D.E.I. programs haven't always served their purpose. They are asking executives to use this moment of chaos to take stock of which diversity initiatives are effective and which were mostly used for public relations value and should be discarded. 'A lot of these moves have been for optics,' said Lily Zheng, a D.E.I. strategist and the author of 'Reconstructing DEI.' 'If you can get rid of D.E.I. in a day, that tells you those D.E.I. commitments were the flimsiest of flimsy commitments.' Alarm over how to navigate this new D.E.I. terrain pops up anywhere corporate leaders gather. In January, leaders in artificial intelligence, including representatives from OpenAI and DeepMind, gathered in Gloria Steinem's living room, convened by the media start-up Charter and Bloomberg Beta, to talk about gender equality in their industry. A computer scientist described her worries over an organization she works for that supports underrepresented groups in the A.I. industry, wondering whether its website should drop its language about focusing on Black, Latina and nonbinary people. Ms. Steinem offered her own perspective on the long history of counterattacks on efforts to boost representation of women and minorities in any industry: 'There's always a backlash,' she said. 'As soon as you're approaching a place of real power.'
