FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday: March 14, 2025
Contact: media@edtrust.org

EdTrust Condemns the Trump Administration’s Weaponization of Investigations Against DEI in Higher Education

Statement from Augustus Mays, vice president of Partnerships and Engagement, on the Trump Administration’s investigations into over 50 universities DEI initiatives

WASHINGTON- “EdTrust strongly condemns the Trump administration’s and Secretary McMahon’s politically motivated investigations into college and university Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. These latest attacks represent a dangerous escalation in the ongoing assault on efforts to ensure that students of color, first-generation students, and students from low-income backgrounds have equitable access to higher education.”

By using federal investigations as a weapon to intimidate institutions committed to racial equity, the Trump administration is not only undermining the fundamental mission of higher education but is also jeopardizing student success. These attacks are grounded in a false narrative that DEI initiatives are about exclusion. The reality is the opposite: these programs are designed to expand access, increase opportunity, and strengthen institutions by ensuring that all students, particularly underserved students, can thrive.

A prime example is The PhD Project, one of the programs now under scrutiny. The PhD Project has spent nearly 30 years working to increase racial and ethnic diversity among business school faculty, where representation remains disproportionately low. The program provides mentorship, networking, and career pathways for under-represented doctoral students, helping to diversify the professoriate and ensure that future business leaders are educated in environments that reflect the diversity of the real world. This program does not exclude anyone — it levels the playing field by removing barriers that have historically kept certain groups out of academia.

This weaponization of federal authority echoes past attacks on affirmative action and is part of a broader, deliberate strategy to roll back hard-fought progress in educational access. If these investigations are allowed to continue unchecked, they will have chilling effects on institutions’ ability to serve all students equitably.

EdTrust calls on policymakers, higher education leaders, and advocates to reject these political attacks and reaffirm their commitment to diversity and inclusion in education. Campuses must continue to be places where all students — regardless of race, background, or socioeconomic status — can access the resources, mentorship, and opportunities they need to succeed.

We will not be silent. We will continue to fight for policies that ensure higher education remains a pathway to opportunity for all, not a system that reinforces exclusion and inequality.