Some Democratic-led cities and states are pushing back on threats from the Trump administration to cut school funding over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
As the Associated Press reports, state leaders in Minnesota and New York said they have no plans to comply with the Education Department’s order to gather signatures from local school districts certifying compliance with civil rights laws, including rejecting what the administration deems as “illegal DEI practices.”
On Friday, New York’s education office challenged the federal government’s demand in a letter stating that the state has already provided assurances that it follows federal law and “no further certification will be forthcoming.”
According to the New York Department of Education, more than 2.4 million students are enrolled in the public school system for the 2024-25 school year. 15% of students identify as Black, 30% identify as Hispanic or Latino, and 3% identify as Multiracial.
Days later, Minnesota’s education chief sent a letter to the Education Department stating that the Trump administration had overstepped its authority and that DEI is not illegal.
“Threats to this funding without backing in law or established requirements put key programs at risk that students and schools depend on every day,” said Willie Jett, Minnesota’s education commissioner.
He added that the federal department “does not have the authority to unilaterally overrule the will of Congress” and that his letter served as Minnesota’s response to the Trump administration’s demands.
Minnesota’s most recent enrollment data shows that approximately 870,000 students enrolled in public schools for the 2022-23 school year. Nearly 12% enrolled in Minnesota schools identified as Black and a little more than 10% identified as Hispanic or Latino.
Leaders in California, the state with the largest number of public school students, enrolling close to 6 million students for 2023-24, and Vermont leaders, where there are nearly 83,000 public students enrolled for the 2022-23 school year, have directed school districts not to respond. Chicago’s mayor, where there are 320,205 students enrolled in public schools, has promised to sue over any school funding cuts over DEI.
The U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to state agencies on Thursday, stating that they must sign a document ensuring that both the state and local school districts follow federal anti-discrimination laws.
Federal education leaders have threatened to cut federal funding for any civil rights violations, which includes DEI practices that give an advantage to one race over another, according to the document.
Any schools that continue such practices were told they would be in “violation of federal law” and would face Justice Department litigation along with a termination of federal grants and contracts.
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