New York Says It Won’t Comply With Order to Dismantle DEI in Schools

State education officials in New York have rejected Trump administration’s demand to eliminate DEI practices from public schools.

Department of Education building in Washington on July 6, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

New York state officials have formally rejected the Trump administration’s order that public schools certify that they have ended diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices, potentially putting federal education funding on the line.

In a letter dated April 4, Daniel Morton-Bentley, counsel and deputy commissioner for the New York State Education Department (NYSED), told the Department of Education that the state does not recognize the federal agency’s authority to impose such a requirement or to reinterpret civil rights law without proper administrative procedures.