Trump has released a very clear message.
The Department of Education has issued a stern warning to state education departments across the country, urging them to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies or face the potential loss of federal funding. A letter from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, sent to all 50 states, provides a strict 14-day deadline for compliance. The letter was publicly shared by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, highlighting its importance.
Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Education, made it clear that institutions failing to adhere to federal civil rights law could lose vital federal support. The letter emphasizes the growing problem of racial discrimination in educational institutions, noting that both overt and subtle forms of racial bias have become all too common in the nation’s schools.
A key legal precedent, the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which ruled that affirmative action policies at Harvard University violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, serves as the foundation for the Department of Education’s stance. The letter reinforces that policies designed to promote diversity, racial balancing, or social justice through race-based decision-making are illegal under current Supreme Court rulings.
Trainor stressed that the Department of Education is committed to vigorously enforcing civil rights law across all levels of education—from preschool to postsecondary institutions—ensuring that federal funding will not be used to support illegal race-based practices.
State education departments are being urged to review their policies and ensure they align with civil rights laws, removing any indirect attempts to use race as a factor in decisions, even if through third-party contractors or other means. This latest move follows previous actions taken by President Trump, who signed executive orders aimed at curbing illegal and discriminatory practices in schools, including ending DEI programs and gender ideology-based initiatives. The Department of Education has already begun rolling back DEI language and activities, reinforcing a commitment to equal treatment for all students.