Education officials in California say they can go against the Trump administration’s orders to end all diversity, equity and inclusion programs — even as federal officials threaten to cut billions of dollars in federal education funding every year.
U.S. Department of Education Thursday Give state 10 days Certificates are collected from each school district to confirm that all DEI efforts have ended and warn that failure to comply with federal funds is at risk. The Trump administration believes that the DEI program is a form of discrimination based on racial discrimination and violates civil rights laws.
In a letter Friday to the head of the school district, the California Department of Education appears to question the federal government’s power to take such action.
All 50 states followed the same order, and New York directly rejected the Trump administration’s request.
The state notes that California’s 1,000 school districts regularly affirm that they are complying with federal law and that “have submitted such as guarantees,” according to a letter provided to the New York Times, “is annually monitored through… multiple accounting mechanisms.
The CDE’s letter was signed by David Schapira, deputy director of public teaching under state school director Tony Thurmond.
“CDE Program Response [the Education Department] “As of the requested date, on behalf of the country and school district, we will share a copy of our reply with you after submitting the information to obtain your information,” Schapira wrote.
Importantly, the letter will not instruct the district to send certification to the state or federal government, or to remove any plans within a narrow 10-day time frame.
The U.S. Department of Education did not provide a response Monday to a letter sent by state education officials to the California school district.
Federal demand last week Follow the February 14 letter The U.S. Department of Education tells all K-12 school districts and higher education institutions to end race in “admissions, recruitment, promotions, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, scholarships, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic and academic and campus life.”
Since then, many universities and University of California Nationwide, diversity efforts, commonly known as dei, have been eliminated, have been scrubbed from its website.
Federal officials said Thursday’s certification demand is the next step in the law enforcement process.
“Federal financial aid is a privilege, not a right,” Craig Trainer, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement. He said many schools have Violating their legal obligations“Including the use of the DEI program to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another.”
this Certification form Included in several pages of legal analysis to support the government’s demands, which is largely based on the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to ban affirmative action in college admissions through a lawsuit filed against Harvard.
Trainor quoted Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who said: “Eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of this.”
but New York officials challenge Links to Supreme Court cases.
The New York Department of Education “does not know any of the Department’s powers” to require state education institutions to agree to their interpretation of judicial decisions or to change the terms and conditions of federal funds that “have no formal administrative procedures” for federal funds, Daniel Morton Bentley said,
“We understand that the current administration is trying to review what it believes is “diversity, equity and inclusion.” “But there is no federal or state law prohibiting DEI principles.”
“There will be no further certification,” he added.
The U.S. Department of Education also did not respond to letters from New York education officials.
Although the calculation challenge for federal education funding is calculated and reached through multiple channels, some statistics make that number $16.3 billion a year in California, including money for school meals, students with disabilities and early education head start programs. The Los Angeles Unified School District estimates it earns about $1.26 billion a year, slightly less than 10% of its annual budget.
A statement from LA Unified takes care of the issue: “While the certification request or guarantees compliance with federal law requires similar to other certificates [the Education Department]the district is awaiting guidance from the California Department of Education – the letters on the certification form are targeted at state educational institutions. ”
The government has issued similar threats to school districts and states to understand policies related to trans students and sex education curriculum.
Federal officials have A survey was conducted The California Department of Education may again be under billions of dollars for allegedly withholding information about their children’s gender identity from parents’ information.
Federal officials argue that California law violates a federal law that guarantees parents access to their children’s school records. They say federal law takes precedence.
State officials replied that California law does not violate federal regulations because it does not affect parents’ rights to request and receive records.
