President Donald Trump’s Department of Education said Thursday that it has begun dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies within its halls.
The department removed hundreds of documents from its website outlining DEI practices and dissolved several DEI teams, such as the Diversity & Inclusion Council established under former President Barack Obama and the Employee Engagement Diversity Equity Inclusion Accessibility Council, it announced. Several DEI staff were placed on administrative leave and DEI trainings have been immediately halted.
“The U.S. Department of Education has taken action to eliminate harmful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including references to them in public-facing communication channels and its associated workforce,” the department’s press release reads. “These actions are in line with President Trump’s ongoing commitment to end illegal discrimination and wasteful spending across the federal government. They are the first step in reorienting the agency toward prioritizing meaningful learning ahead of divisive ideology in our schools.”
The department said it will continue reviewing policies and working “to end discrimination based on race and the use of harmful race stereotypes, both within the agency and throughout America’s education system.” The efforts have resulted in the cancellation of $2.6 million in service contracts, the department estimates.
Trump’s day-one executive order called for the dismantling of “radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing” throughout all federal agencies and the president has continued efforts to break down divisive policies since.
The Biden administration poured millions into entrenching DEI topics into schools, focusing on “LGBTQ inclusion” and “anti-racism and anti-oppression.” It also failed to redefine Title IX, which protects women from discrimination, to include gender identity, thereby allowing men to use women’s bathrooms, locker rooms and participate in women’s sports.
Former President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, had previously taken aim at parents who stood up against these policies in schools, allegedly soliciting the National School Boards Association to label advocates “domestic terrorists” for addressing their concerns with local school boards.
The downfall of DEI policies had already begun by the time Trump took office as several studies had revealed the ineffectiveness of such initiatives in improving outcomes for students and lessening racial tensions. Several states have already banned the practices at colleges and universities.
The Department of Education did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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