In compliance with the Executive Order to discontinue all DEI programs and associated outreach, the US Department of Education has stopped all “references to them in public-facing communication channels and its associated workforce” according to the USDOE website.
Major actions taken as listed by the website:
- Dissolution of the Department’s Diversity & Inclusion Council, effective immediately;
- Background: The Diversity & Inclusion Council was established following Executive Order 13583 under then – President Obama. President Trump has rescinded the Executive Orders that guide the Council and issued a new Executive Order, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” that terminates groups like the Diversity & Inclusion Council. DEI documents issued and related actions taken by the Council have been withdrawn.
- Dissolution of the Employee Engagement Diversity Equity Inclusion Accessibility Council (EEDIAC) within the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), effective immediately and pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing”;
- Cancellation of ongoing DEI training and service contracts which total over $2.6 million;
- Withdrawal of the Department’s Equity Action Plan;
- Placement of career Department staff tasked with implementing the previous administration’s DEI initiatives on paid administrative leave; and
- Identification for removal of over 200 web pages from the Department’s website that housed DEI resources and encouraged schools and institutions of higher education to promote or endorse harmful ideological programs.
These moves were made by the President to follow his direction toward merit-based hiring, reduction in spending, and elimination of “harmful ideological programs” affecting the country.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is reviewing each agency concerning all DEI activities and personnel. “These review efforts will continue as the Department works to end discrimination based on race and the use of harmful race stereotypes, both within the agency and throughout America’s education system.”