New York state officials have formally rejected the Trump administration’s order that public schools certify they have ended diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices, potentially putting federal education funding on the line.
In a letter dated April 4, Daniel Morton-Bentley, counsel and deputy commissioner for the New York State Education Department (NYSED), told the Department of Education that the state does not recognize the federal agency’s authority to impose such a requirement or to reinterpret civil rights law without proper administrative procedures.
“We understand that the current administration seeks to censor anything it deems ‘diversity, equity & inclusion,’” he wrote. “But there are no federal or State laws prohibiting the principles of DEI.”…