WASHINGTON (AP) – Schools and universities across the US face Friday deadline End the diversity program Or, there’s a risk that the Trump administration will withdraw federal money, but few people are openly rushing to make changes. Many believe they are on a solid legal basis and know that it is rarely unprecedented and very time-consuming for governments to cut off funds.
State officials in Washington and California urged schools not to make changes to schools, saying they would not change federal laws and would not require action. New York City schools have taken the same approach and say the district’s policies and curriculum have not changed.
Some university leaders shrugged their notes completely. Antioch University The chief said “majority of higher education” would not comply with the memo unless federal law changes. The president of Western Michigan University told his campus, “Please proceed as usual.”
Notes published by President Donald on February 14th Trump’s administrationofficially known as a letter from a dear colleague, gave the school two weeks to stop the practice of treating people differently because of race.
Opponents say it is an excess intended to have a calm effect. This guidance appears to ban everything from classroom lessons on racism to university efforts. Recruitment in diverse regionsand even voluntary student groups like the Black Student Union.
Educational institutions are urging a measured approach and warning institutions not to cut in a hurry that is difficult to undo. Ted Mitchell, chairman of the U.S. Education Council, tells the university they are still there if they are compliant with federal law before the memo.
“There’s nothing to do until we see the administration or its institutions try to stop something,” Mitchell said. “And we have an argument.”
Research rarely approaches cutting school federal funds
While federal money losses are devastating for schools and universities, they impose penalties that are neither quick nor simple.
The education department that commands Civil Rights Survey Last year, there were fewer than 600 employees before the Trump administration cut staff, but there were more than 18,000 school districts and 6,000 universities in the United States.
Even if schools or states are facing investigations, it can take years to close funds. Under former President Joe Biden, the education department tried to withdraw federal money from Michigan educational institutions after realising it had violated the rights of students with disabilities. The investigation began in 2022 and is still tied to federal court.
“We very much hope that schools accused of providing an inclusive and equal education for all students in the school community will support that principle,” said Katherine Ramon, who led the department. Civil Rights Bureau Under Biden.
Still, some education leaders say resistance is too dangerous. At the University of Cincinnati, President Neville G. Pinto said authorities are evaluating work related to diversity, equity and inclusion and removing DEI references from school websites.
“Given this new landscape, agencies like the public and federally supported agencies in Ohio have little choice but to follow the laws governing us,” Pinto wrote.
Tony Frank, the premier of the Colorado State University System, wrote in a letter on campus that he was opposed to the department. However, he advised to follow the system’s campus, saying there is too much risk for students and staff. “If you gamble here and get it wrong, someone else will pay the price,” he wrote.
New guidance will lead to a change in interpretation of non-discrimination laws
In many cases Republican-led statesthe education director praised the memo.
“We do not foresee daily business disruptions because we didn’t feel that using race was appropriate when making these types of decisions in the first case,” Alabama Chief Eric G. McKee said in a statement released by the Trump administration.
The memo said the schools often promoted DEI efforts at the expense of white and Asian American students.
It doesn’t carry the weight of the law, but it explains how the new administration interprets non-discrimination laws. It dramatically expands the 2023 Supreme Court decision to use the use of race in university admissions for all aspects of education, including employment, promotions, scholarships, housing, graduations, and campus life.
There is guidance Challenged in court The American Federation of Teachers said the memo violated the Free Speech Act.
Some schools are quiet for fear of being targeted, but many leaders have also struggled to grasp the meaning.
“We’re a great opportunity to see people working hard to get into,” said Christine Tucci Osorio, director of Minnesota’s North St. Paul School District. When the teacher asked if her school could still mark African American History Month, she assured them they could.
Despite concerns about schools rushing to comply, he says, “cooler heads are largely common.”
“Schools send a message that they don’t stand up for the community within the school, that’s a broken trust and that’s a lost relationship,” King said.
Trump wields funding threats to support his agenda so that there is no president before him.
Trump vows to use his education funds as Political leverage In some respects, threatening reductions in schools that do not align with his agenda on topics including Transgender girls participating Girls’ sports and Race-related instructions.
Civil rights investigations by the Department of Education typically take at least six months, and in many cases it can take much longer. If a school is found in violation of federal law, departmental policies provide an opportunity to enter compliance and sign a solution. It usually takes 90 days.
The department can only move to cancel federal money if the school refuses to comply. It can be done in the education sector through a court-like process determined by an administrative law judge. If the judge determines that the penalty is justified, the school can appeal it to the Secretary of Education and then challenge it in court.
Instead of dealing internally, the department could also refer the case to the Department of Justice for a lawsuit. That route is not fast.
The last time the education department was granted approval to cut federal funding was in 1992 to the Capistrano Unified School District in California.
Before the penalty was carried out, the district revived the teachers and effectively ended the appeal. You won’t lose money.
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Gecker reported Mumphrey from San Francisco and Phoenix.
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