Education Department Details How It's Tackled Eliminating DEI From the Agency

The U.S. Department of Education on Thursday announced the steps it has taken to comply with President Trump’s recent executive order doing away with diversity, equity, and inclusion within the federal government. 

After the EO and the related guidance from the Office of Personnel Management, the Education Department said it took down hundreds of reports, documents, and training material that referenced DEI. Additionally, employees that were leading DEI efforts were put on paid leave, per the OPM memo.  

“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,” the press release said. 

Notable actions the Department has taken include: 

• 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 President Trump has rescinded the Executive Orders that guide the Council and issued a new Executive Order, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” that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 DEI documents issued and related actions taken by the Council have been withdrawn.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. (Education Department)

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The Department said it will continue to review other programs and public channels where a “divisive DEI agenda” may still be present, including determining whether some are using “coded or imprecise language” to circumvent the latest order.