Trump admin gives US schools 14 days to end 'discriminatory' DEI programmes

The Trump administration has given America's schools and universities two weeks to kill diversity initiatives or risk losing federal money, raising the stakes in the president's fight against "wokeness" as schools scramble to comply.

The Education Department said on Tuesday that educational institutes have been given an ultimatum to stop using "racial preferences" as a factor in admissions, financial aid, hiring or other areas. Schools are being given 14 days to end any practice that treats students or workers differently because of their race.

"With this guidance, the Trump Administration is directing schools to end the use of racial preferences and race stereotypes in their programmes and activities — a victory for justice, civil rights laws, and the Constitution," said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor in a statement.

"For decades, schools have been operating on the pretext that selecting students for 'diversity' or similar euphemisms is not selecting them based on race. No longer. Students should be assessed according to merit, accomplishment, and character — not prejudged by the colour of their skin. The Office for Civil Rights will enforce that commitment."

The memo targets college admissions offices, ordering an end to personal essays or writing prompts that can be used to predict an applicant's race.

It forbids dorms or graduation events for students of certain races. Efforts to recruit teachers from underrepresented groups could be seen as discrimination.

It's meant to correct what the memo described as rampant discrimination in education, often against white and Asian students.

The memo itself doesn't change federal law but reflects a change in the federal government's interpretation of anti-discrimination laws. Under its broad language, nearly any practice that brings race into the discussion could be considered racial discrimination.

"Put simply, educational institutions may neither separate or segregate students based on race, nor distribute benefits or burdens based on race," it said.

"DEI programmes, for example, frequently preference certain racial groups and teach students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens that others do not. Such programs stigmatise students who belong to particular racial groups based on crude racial stereotypes," the memo said.

"Consequently, they deny students the ability to participate fully in the life of a school. The Department will no longer tolerate the overt and covert racial discrimination that has become widespread in this Nation's educational institutions," it warned.

It's an extension of President Donald Trump's executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion programmes.

On Monday, the Education Department announced it also cut $600 million in grants for organisations that train teachers. The programmes promoted "divisive" concepts like DEI, critical race theory and social justice activism, the department said.

The memo brought a wave of panic across the nation's colleges as officials rushed to assess their risk. Many were scrambling to evaluate what programmes could put them at risk.

In a campus letter at the University of Michigan, President Santa J. Ono said leaders are working to understand the implications.

His message cited two examples from the memo — the one banning admissions essays that could predict an applicant's race, and another saying it's unlawful for schools to eliminate standardised testing requirements "to achieve a desired racial balance or to increase racial diversity."

Dozens of universities have ended standardised testing requirements in recent years, including Michigan.

'14 days is insufficient time'

Some colleges said they expect little change from the memo.

At Oregon State University, a legal review concluded that its programmes "are fully compliant with all state and federal laws," according to a campus message from Rob Odom, vice president of university relations and marketing.

The department memo appears to take aim at scholarships reserved for students from certain racial backgrounds. There's been legal debate about whether the Supreme Court decision extends to financial aid, with some schools and institutions deciding to scrap racial requirements for certain scholarships.

The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators said there's no consensus on the question, and the group is trying to understand how the memo could affect student aid.

"What we do know, however, is that 14 days is insufficient time for schools to assess and implement any necessary changes to be in compliance," the group said in a statement.

"The last thing students need when making plans about how to pay for college is uncertainty over when or whether they will receive financial aid they've been relying on."

The confusion around Trump's order was apparent at last week's confirmation hearing for education secretary nominee Linda McMahon.

In a tense exchange, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy asked McMahon to clarify the boundaries of Trump's order banning DEI in schools. McMahon said events celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. should be allowed, but she hesitated when asked about African American history classes.

"I'm not quite certain," she said. "I'd like to look into it further." Murphy said her answer would "have a lot of educators and a lot of principals and administrators scrambling right now."