As Trump’s DEI Deadline Nears, Few Schools Openly Rush to Make Changes
Despite Warning, Many Institutions Refuse to Comply with Memo
WASHINGTON (AP) — Schools and colleges across the U.S. face a Friday deadline to end diversity programs or risk having their federal money pulled by the Trump administration, yet few are openly rushing to make changes. Many believe they’re on solid legal ground, and they know it would be all but unprecedented — and extremely time-consuming — for the government to cut off funding.
State officials in Washington and California urged schools not to make changes, saying it doesn’t change federal law and doesn’t require any action. New York City schools have taken the same approach and said district policies and curriculum have not changed.
Lack of Action from Most Institutions
Leaders of some colleges shrugged the memo off entirely. Antioch University’s chief said “most of higher education” won’t comply with the memo unless federal law is changed. Western Michigan University’s president told his campus to “please proceed as usual.”
Investigations Rarely Come Close to Cutting Schools’ Federal Funding
A loss of federal money would be devastating for schools and colleges, but imposing that penalty would not be quick or simple. The Education Department office that conducts civil rights investigations had fewer than 600 employees last year — before the Trump administration began cutting staff — while the U.S. has more than 18,000 school districts and 6,000 colleges.
Even when a school or state faces an investigation, it can take years to terminate funding. Under former President Joe Biden, the Education Department tried to pull federal money from Michigan’s education agency after finding it violated the rights of students with disabilities. The investigation began in 2022 and is still tied up in federal court.
New Guidance Brings a Shift in Interpretation of Nondiscrimination Laws
In many Republican-led states, education chiefs applauded the memo. “We never felt it was appropriate to use race in making these types of decisions in the first case, so I do not foresee any interruptions in our day-to-day business,” Alabama’s state superintendent, Eric G. Mackey, said in a statement released by the Trump administration.
The memo said schools have promoted DEI efforts often at the expense of white and Asian American students.
Little Action Expected
Despite concerns that schools would rush to comply, it appears “cooler heads are largely prevailing,” said Liz King, senior director for the education equity program at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
“Once a school sends the message that they are not going to stand up for a member, a community within their school, that is broken trust, that is a lost relationship,” King said.
Conclusion
As the deadline approaches, it seems that few schools and colleges are rushing to make changes in response to the Trump administration’s memo. Many have decided to wait and see how the situation unfolds, while others have chosen to ignore the memo altogether. The outcome of this situation remains to be seen, but for now, it appears that the educational institutions are taking a cautious approach.
FAQs
Q: What is the deadline for schools to end diversity programs?
A: Friday
Q: What is the Trump administration’s stance on DEI efforts in schools?
A: The administration has issued a memo urging schools to halt any practice that treats people differently because of their race.
Q: How many employees did the Education Department have last year before the Trump administration began cutting staff?
A: Fewer than 600
Q: How long does it typically take for a school or state to face an investigation by the Education Department?
A: It can take years, as seen in the case of Michigan’s education agency, which was investigated in 2022 and is still tied up in federal court.
