The Trump administration suffered a major setback last month in its efforts to end educational institutions’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In a federal court in New Hampshire, the Department of Education conceded the end of its February 2025 “Dear Colleague” directive that sought to make all race-conscious student programming, resources, and financial aid illegal in schools and higher education institutions across the country.
The concession came as the district court heard a lawsuit filed by the National Education Association (NEA) against the Trump administration’s anti-DEI directives, including the Dear Colleague letter and the EndDEI Portal. Launched last February, the aim of the public portal was for parents, students, and teachers to submit reports of alleged discrimination against white students in publicly funded K-12 schools. On Feb. 3, the Education Department agreed that both the threats outlined in the letter and use of the portal will not be enforced in any way by the department, months after multiple courts sought to block or strike down these efforts.
The department’s concession was celebrated by rights groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and education-focused organizations such as the NEA and The Center for Black Educator Development.
However, even as the department’s anti-DEI guidance is officially rescinded, colleges and universities that scrambled last year to scrap or overhaul their DEI efforts haven’t changed tack, fearful that the Trump administration’s ideology remains the same and worried that the federal government might find other ways to crack down on schools continuing diversity programs and initiatives.