In a memo, Pennsylvania officials complied with President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders but told school districts that they don’t need to change any of their diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, claiming there are “no federal or state laws generally prohibiting efforts,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Pennsylvania Department of Education (DOE) acting secretary, Carrie Rowe said state DEI initiatives don’t identify as “illegal,” despite the U.S. Department of Education claiming “certain DEI practices” violate federal law and threatening to pull federal funding, including Title I funds targeting high-poverty districts within the state.
In a letter supporting Rowe, Pennsylvania’s Executive Deputy Secretary of Education Angela Fitterer highlighted how the state’s DOE “will continue to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” banning all discrimination based on race, national origin, or shared ancestry in programs receiving federal funding, according to Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
She also wrote the department confirmed “that it adheres to all applicable laws providing for equal access and participation to all persons,” refusing to bow down to stern orders from the White House.
States like Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New York immediately pushed back against anti-DEI practices. Massachusetts officials told the education department that diversity will continue to be promoted in schools, while Minnesota, where former vice presidential nominee Tim Walz is governor, said the agency “does not have the authority to unilaterally overrule the will of Congress,” touching on threats only penalizing “the most vulnerable children in Minnesota.”
In New York, after Trump gave states 10 days to comply, Counsel and Deputy Commissioner Daniel Morton-Bentley said the federal agency does not have the right—legally—to withhold funding.
“We understand that the current administration seeks to censor anything it deems ‘diversity, equity & inclusion…But there are no federal or State laws prohibiting the principles of DEI,” Morton-Bentley said. “And USDOE has yet to define what practices it believes violate Title VI.”
However, not all states have taken the same route. In New Hampshire, a website was launched to track school districts that failed to comply with the federal directive.
Federal education support accounts for close to 10% of Philadelphia’s school district’s budget, with more than $4.5 billion. Anti-racism and DEI initiatives were priority issues for the district, instructed by Superintendent Tony Watlington, who implemented a five-year plan and drilled practices into the curriculum and professional development strategies.
RELATED CONTENT: Democrat-Led States Push Back On Federal Goverment’s Threats To Cut School Funding Over DEI
