FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 17, 2025

Contact: media@edtrust.org

Eliminating DEI programs in Schools and Universities is an Economic and Educational Disaster in the Making

Statement from Wil Del Pilar, senior vice president, EdTrust, on the recent Dear Colleague letter from the Department of Education

WASHINGTON – “On Valentine’s Day, the U.S. Department of Education sent a chilling message with a Dear Colleague letter to schools and universities across the country: eliminate all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs — or lose federal funding. This directive comes from the Acting Assistant Secretary from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), the very same office tasked with protecting the rights of students of color, students with disabilities, and other under-represented groups. However, backed by President Trump’s Project 2025 agenda, it’s clear that this is part of a broader, coordinated assault on public education. The goal? To erase the progress made toward racial and economic justice in public education and dismantle the very programs that ensure student success. The means? Scare tactics by weaponizing OCR.

“DEI is under attack not because it is failing, but because its principles of advancing access are working. Programs that support Black, Latino, Native, and other traditionally underrepresented students help close equity gaps, increase graduation rates, and foster environments where all students — regardless of race, background, or socioeconomic status — can have a shot at the American Dream. Cultural centers, Black and Latino Student Associations, and other campus groups are not about exclusion; they are about empowerment, academic success, and ensuring that campuses reflect the rich diversity of our nation. These programs build stronger institutions and stronger communities by creating spaces where students can engage in meaningful dialogue, find mentorship, and receive critical academic and mental health support.

“This latest attack on DEI is not just ideological — it is an economic and educational disaster in the making. Students of color now make up more than half of the student population in K-12 and 45% of student enrollment in colleges and universities. Silencing their voices, erasing their histories, and dismantling the programs that support their success will deepen racial and economic inequities, widen achievement gaps, and weaken the nation’s workforce.

“And it doesn’t stop there. The elimination of over $370 million in federal grants — which fund student mental health services, campus support programs, and initiatives that improve college completion — will have catastrophic effects. Schools and universities that already struggle to provide adequate resources to low-income, first-generation, and students of color will face even steeper barriers. This isn’t about efficiency — it’s about exclusion. This is not just a fight for diversity programs — it is a fight for the future of education itself. If we allow DEI to be dismantled and federal funding to schools directly targeted, we are allowing an extreme right-wing agenda to decide who gets to succeed in America and who gets left behind. We must not let that happen.”

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About EdTrust
EdTrust is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the American education system. Through our research and advocacy, EdTrust improves equity in education from preschool through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to education equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where students will thrive.