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In Trump’s War on DEI in Schools, the NAACP Fights Back

April 18, 2025

The NAACP and NAACP Legal Defense Fund have sued the Trump administration over the Department of Education's threat to withhold federal funding from schools that maintain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The Department of Education sent a "Dear Colleague" letter in February warning schools that any race-related programs might violate federal law, followed by an April demand that schools end all DEI initiatives or risk losing funding. According to the lawsuit, this represents a misinterpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which were designed to prevent discrimination rather than prohibit efforts to address it.

Who is affected

  • The 7.4 million Black students in K-12 public schools
  • Students of color and marginalized students who benefit from DEI programs
  • Public schools that receive federal funding for instructional aides, after-school tutoring programs, and teacher training
  • Parents whose children are victims of bias or discrimination who previously relied on the Office of Civil Rights
  • Parents of children with disabilities who sought resources through OCR investigations
  • Educators who implement DEI initiatives and anti-bias training
  • School districts like Waterloo, Iowa that have already altered programming due to fears of retaliation

What action is being taken

  • The NAACP and NAACP Legal Defense Fund are suing the Trump administration
  • The Department of Education is threatening to withhold federal funding from schools that maintain DEI programs
  • The Trump administration is dismantling the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights through layoffs
  • Schools are withdrawing from diversity-related events, as exemplified by the Waterloo, Iowa school district pulling out of an annual African American Read-In

Why it matters

  • The lawsuit challenges the interpretation of civil rights laws that were designed to prevent discrimination
  • Federal funding for essential school programs like instructional aides, tutoring, and teacher training is at stake
  • The dismantling of the Office of Civil Rights leaves parents with nowhere to turn when their children face discrimination
  • Programs supporting students of color are being threatened, including affinity groups and anti-bias training
  • According to NAACP President Derrick Johnson, Black students and children of color still experience racial harms and are more likely to attend segregated, underfunded schools

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article.

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint