The Supreme Court‘s rejection of affirmative action in college admissions and the Trump administration‘s targeting of diversity, equity and inclusion programs have created a hostile environment against college programs that seek to benefit or acknowledge underrepresented minorities or promote diverse student bodies. Now, an opinion expressed by an Education Department official indicates that the administration may be broadening its attacks against nearly all college programs and groups that incorporate race.
Department of Education official accuses schools of discriminating against white, Asian students
Alarms were raised when Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Education Craig Trainor issued a letter on February 14 to “clarify and reaffirm the nondiscrimination obligations of schools and other entities that receive federal financial assistance from the United States Department of Education,” claiming discrimination against students, “including white and Asian students,” based on race.
“For example, colleges, universities, and K-12 schools have routinely used race as a factor in admissions, financial aid, hiring, training, and other institutional programming. In a shameful echo of a darker period in this country’s history, many American schools and universities even encourage segregation by race at graduation ceremonies and in dormitories and other facilities,” Trainer wrote.
He also claimed, “Educational institutions have toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon ‘systemic and structural racism’ and advanced discriminatory policies and practices.”
New guidelines target admissions, scholarships, campus life, even graduation ceremonies
Citing the 2023 Student for Fair Admissions case through which the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action in college admissions, Trainer said, “Although SFFA addressed admissions decisions, the Supreme Court’s holding applies more broadly.”
Under his interpretation, Trainor argued, “Federal law thus prohibits covered entities from using race in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life.” He also rejects consideration of race based on information like personal admissions essays — allowed by the Supreme Court decision — and policies that indirectly consider race.
“It would, for instance, be unlawful for an educational institution to eliminate standardized testing to achieve a desired racial balance or to increase racial diversity.”
Trainor’s letter gives educational institutions 14 days to comply with these requirements or risk losing federal funding.
‘Truly dystopian’ new policies
Critics of the letter argue the new policies it announces are unlawful and reach much farther than the Supreme Court ruling upon which it is based. Brian Rosenberg, a visiting professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education who was previously president of Macalester College, decried the “truly dystopian“ letter, saying, “It goes well beyond the Supreme Court ruling on admissions and declares illegal a wide range of common practices“ and mentioned, “In my career I’ve never seen language of this kind from any government agency in the United States.“
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said, “This threat to rip away the federal funding our public K-12 schools and colleges receive flies in the face of the law.” She added, “While it’s anyone’s guess what falls under the Trump administration’s definition of ‘DEI,’ there is simply no authority or basis for Trump to impose such a mandate.”
There has thus already been significant pushback against this sweeping new race policy from the Trump administration. But with affirmative action in college admissions outlawed and the Trump administration’s hostility to diversity initiatives, these new mandates for educational institutions may radically alter everything from who is admitted and can afford to go to educational institutions to the types of student groups and activities allowed on campus.
The post Trump Official Declares Virtually All Race-Conscious College Programming Illegal appeared first on Blavity.
