TRENTON, NJ – President Donald J. Trump has sent a warning letter to New Jersey and other states that have implemented Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs within their public school systems.
Phil Murphy and the New Jersey Department of Education were put on notice with just ten days to comply.
Stop all DEI programs in public education, or lose educational funding. The letter, was sent in response to an executive order signed by President Trump after taking office.
The U.S. Department of Education has issued a letter reaffirming that race-based discrimination in schools receiving federal funding is illegal, citing recent Supreme Court precedent against racial preferences in college admissions.
In a February 14 letter, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor warned educational institutions that using race in admissions, hiring, scholarships, and student programming violates federal law. The guidance follows the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which struck down affirmative action in college admissions, stating that race-based considerations must meet the highest level of judicial scrutiny.
“Discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is illegal and morally reprehensible,” Trainor wrote. “The Department will no longer tolerate the overt and covert racial discrimination that has become widespread in this Nation’s educational institutions.”
The letter argues that schools have increasingly used race as a factor in decisions ranging from financial aid to dormitory assignments. It also criticizes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, calling them a means of enforcing race-conscious policies under a different label.
The department cited past legal precedents and stated that any form of racial preference—whether direct or indirect—remains unlawful.
“Although some programs may appear neutral on their face, a closer look reveals that they are, in fact, motivated by racial considerations,” the letter states. It warns that institutions attempting to work around federal law by using proxies for race, such as personal essays or extracurricular activities, would also be in violation.
The letter further emphasized that discrimination against any racial group, including white and Asian students, has been an increasing concern in education. It criticizes the elimination of standardized testing in the name of increasing diversity and calls out programs that assign moral burdens to students based on race.
As part of its enforcement measures, the Department of Education stated it will assess compliance with anti-discrimination statutes within 14 days. Schools that continue to use race-based decision-making, the letter warns, may face the loss of federal funding. Institutions are advised to ensure their policies align with civil rights laws and to cease working with third-party contractors or organizations that promote race-based preferences.
The department encouraged individuals who believe they have been discriminated against to file complaints with the Office for Civil Rights. The letter includes a link to an online complaint portal for reporting violations.
The Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions overturned decades of affirmative action policies, finding that race-based admissions violate the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The decision set a new legal standard for evaluating the use of race in education, prompting federal agencies to issue updated guidance.
