The Trump administration is threatening to withhold funds from K-12 public schools that have programs the federal government deems are related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
A Thursday letter, addressed to top state education officials, said schools have 10 days to sign a document certifying its schools are in “compliance with their antidiscrimination obligations,” which the Trump administration has determined means no DEI initiatives.
“Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right," Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the Education Department, wrote in the letter. "When state education commissioners accept federal funds, they agree to abide by federal antidiscrimination requirements,"
"Unfortunately, we have seen too many schools flout or outright violate these obligations, including by using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another based on identity characteristics in clear violation of Title VI,” he added.
The compliance letter is similar to a "Dear Colleague" letter the department sent out to universities on Feb. 14, expanding on the ruling from the 2023 affirmative action Supreme Court case.
“Today, the Department is taking an important step toward ensuring that states understand — and comply with — their existing obligations under civil rights laws and Students v. Harvard,” Trainor said.
The compliance letter also says institutions with DEI practices "in violation of federal law” will lose funding.
Federal funding makes up an average of around 10 percent of public school funding, with some states receiving more and others less.
After the “Dear Colleague” letter to universities, officials made clear that student groups based on race or ethnicity were allowed, as long as anyone was allowed to join. The administration has been more vague, however, on programs such as classes that teach Black history.
