Trump Administration Grants Schools More Time to Comply with Anti-DEI Order or Face Funding Cuts

The U.S. Education Department has postponed the enforcement of a controversial directive aimed at banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices for nearly two weeks. This decision follows a court filing on Thursday related to ongoing legal challenges against the order.

Under the agreement reached between the department and the suing organizations, enforcement will remain on hold until after April 24. During this time, states and local education agencies will not be subjected to investigations or required to provide certifications regarding the use of DEI practices in areas such as admissions and hiring.

Education Department spokeswoman Madi Biedermann confirmed that the agreement was finalized earlier this week. Her comments came in response to an April 3 letter from the department, which initially demanded that states and districts certify their compliance with the directive within ten days or risk losing federal funding. This letter followed a communication sent in February that introduced the controversial order.

The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit in New Hampshire federal court last month, seeking to block the enforcement of the directive. In a Thursday statement, the NEA expressed that this pause offers immediate relief to educational institutions nationwide while the broader legal challenge is ongoing.

Biedermann stated that the extension of the certification requirement was a response to good-faith inquiries from states aiming to comply with the order. “Commonsense would dictate that the Department would not take enforcement action until the deadline had passed,” she added.

The groups involved in the lawsuit are seeking an emergency ruling to halt the directive while legal proceedings continue. The agreement reached effectively grants this request without requiring an official court order, ensuring that no school district or higher education institution will face investigation or penalties for not adhering to the problematic certification.

The lawsuit challenges the Education Department’s authority to impose such restrictions on state K-12 curriculums, claiming it limits academic freedom and restricts educators’ teaching abilities. DEI practices have become a contentious issue in educational policy, particularly following efforts by the Trump administration to curb progressive approaches to topics of race, gender, and sexuality in schools.

The administration has argued that DEI initiatives discriminate against white students, framing the issue within the context of compliance with antidiscrimination laws. “DEI programs discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another based on identity characteristics in clear violation of Title VI,” stated Craig Trainor, acting head of civil rights at the Education Department, in a statement earlier this month.