President Donald Trump passed an Executive Order labeled as Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing. It requires agencies and schools to cut any positions, offices, grants, and contracts related to these ideals. DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The U.S. Department of Education has started enforcing specific components of President Trump’s goal to “end illegal discrimination and wasteful spending across the federal government.” Such actions include archiving or removing documents, reports, and training materials that include aspects of DEI. Employees charged with leading DEI initiatives have also been put on paid administrative leave. In addition, the department will completely review agency programs and services to locate possible coded or imprecise references to DEI. According to the department, districts and schools’ failure to comply with the order could result in withheld funding, job loss, and program shut-downs.
Recently, Maricopa Community Colleges have cut all DEI programs in accordance with the Department of Education’s directives following President Trump’s Executive Order. According to azmirror.com, MCC have removed employees under DEI roles, inclusive language on their website, any references to Black History month, and references to the LGBTQ+ community. Employees were also asked to remove gender identity language from their emails, signatures, and business cards. District employees are now prohibited from utilizing funding to attend conferences centered around DEI topics.
The order’s status in courts has left numerous districts unsure if the order will continue to stand. A number have already made changes according to the regulation, such as MCC. However, according to The NewYork Times, other education organizations may be at a standstill, unsure if it is too early to adhere to the standards due to the chance that the order might get pulled down under a court’s ruling.=