The U.S. Department of Education sent letters on Thursday to state commissioners overseeing K-12 state education agencies, requiring them to certify compliance with new anti-discrimination policies if they want to continue to receive federal funding, the department announced.
The letters specifically asked for compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and new requirements determined in the outcome of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which essentially ended affirmative action.
“Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right,” said Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights. “When state education commissioners accept federal funds, they agree to abide by federal antidiscrimination requirements.”
He pointed out that “unfortunately, we have seen too many schools flout or outright violate these obligations, including by using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another based on identity characteristics in clear violation of Title VI.”
This move comes at a time when the Trump administration is attempting to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, which oversees Title VI complaints and compliance, and while the administration continues its crackdown on antisemitism in schools and on university campuses.
Antisemitic incidents in K-12 schools rose by 135% since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
