Julia Garrison
News Editor
A memo sent to all institutions of education across the US — including higher education institutions — advised them to cut their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, claiming they have “toxically indoctrinated students” to believe in “systemic and structural racism.” The memo comes from Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights in the Department of Education.
Trainor, a Trump appointee to the Department, previously served as both senior special counsel and primary counsel for multiple committees within the House of Representatives. In his former roles, Trainor investigated instances of “suppression of free speech and antisemitic harassment on college and university campuses,” as stated in the press release announcing his appointment to the Department of Education.
In the memo sent on Feb. 14, Trainor began by noting that discrimination of any kind is “morally reprehensible,” claiming that institutions receiving federal funding must comply with these new interpretations of the law. Trainor claims that educational institutions across the country have discriminated against students — namely Asian and white students — who come from “disadvantaged backgrounds and low-income families.”
Trainor also claimed that some colleges and universities “encourage segregation by race at graduation ceremonies and in dormitories and other facilities.”
The letter reiterates that institutions receiving federal funding must take measures to assure their compliance with the current Department of Education’s interpretation of the law, as outlined in the letter, beginning no later than today (Feb. 28). The letter also advises institutions to cease departments relating to DEI and third parties involved with DEI initiatives.
