California reports the possible challenge of Trump Anti-Dei Order

California education officials said they may challenge a Trump administration order intended to put an end to all diversity, equity and inclusion programs – even if federal officials threaten to reduce billions of dollars a year in the financing of federal education.

The American Department of Education had given states for 10 days to collect certifications from each school district confirming that all the efforts of the DEI have ended – and have warned that non -compliance with federal funding in danger. The Trump administration argues that DEI programs are a form of discrimination based on race and violate civil rights laws.

In a letter to the Suraningants of the School District on Friday, California Department of Education seemed to question the authority of the federal government to take such a measure.

The 50 states are under the same order and New York directly refused the request of the Trump administration.

The State noted that the 1,000 school districts of California regularly and regularly claim that they comply with federal law and have already submitted such insurance “and that compliance is” annual monitoring through … Several accounting mechanisms “, according to the letter, which was provided to Times.

The CDE letter is signed by David Schapira, assistant superintendent in chief public education under the head of public schools Tony Thurmond.

“The CDE plans to respond to (the Department of Education) on behalf of the State” and school districts “on the date requested, and we will share a copy of our response with you for your information once we have submitted,” wrote Schapira.

Above all, the letter does not ask school districts to send certification to the state or to the federal government or to move to dismantle all programs within 10 days.

The United States Ministry of Education has not provided an answer to the letter sent to California school districts by state education officials.

Last week’s federal request follows a letter of February 14 in which the American Ministry of Education said to all school districts from kindergarten to 12th year and higher education institutions to end the race in “admissions, hiring, promotion, remuneration, financial aid, scholarships, prices, administrative support, discipline, housing, diploma ceremonies and other aspects of students, academic studies and campuses ”. ».

Since then, many colleges and universities in California and throughout the country have eliminated diversity efforts, generally called DEI, rubbing the references of their websites.

Thursday’s certification request is a next step in the application process, federal officials said.

“Federal financial aid is a privilege, not a right,” said Craig Trainor, acting deputy secretary of civil rights, in a statement. He said that many schools have flouted their legal obligations, “including using Dei programs to discriminate a group of Americans to promote another.”

The certification form included several pages of legal analysis in support of the requests of the administration, which are largely based on the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States to prohibit positive action in university admissions thanks to a trial against the University of Harvard.

Trainor cited chief judge John G. Roberts Jr., who said: “The elimination of racial discrimination means eliminating all of this.”

But New York officials challenged the link with the Supreme Court affair.

The New York Department of Education “constitutes no authority” of the Department of Education “require that a state education agency accepts its interpretation of a judicial decision or modifies the terms and conditions” of federal funding “without formal administrative process”, wrote Daniel Morton-Bentley, adviser and assistant.

“We understand that the current administration seeks to censor all that it considers as diversity, equity and inclusion,” continued Morton-Bentley. “But there are no federal or state laws prohibiting Dei’s principles.”

He added: “No other certification will be coming.”

The United States Ministry of Education also did not provide any response to the letter of education officials from New York.

Although federal education funding is difficult to calculate and arrives through channels, some statements put the figure at $ 16.3 billion a year in California – including money for school meals, disabled students and early education programs. The Los Angeles Unified School District estimated that it receives approximately $ 1.26 billion per year, just under 10% of its annual budget.

A declaration of the Unified approached the question with caution: “Although this request for certification or insurance of conformity to federal law is similar to other certifications of (the Department of Education), the district awaits the advice of California Department of Education – because correspondence concerning the certification form has been directed to public educational agencies.”

The administration has already published threats similar to school districts and states concerning policies related to transgender students and the sex education program.

Federal officials have launched an investigation into California Department of Education for having allegedly retained information on changes in their child’s gender identity, once again with billions of dollars potentially at stake.

Federal officials argue that Californian law violates a federal law which guarantees parents’ access to their child’s school files. Federal law, they say, has priority.

State representatives replied that Californian law does not violate federal laws because it does not affect parents’ right to request and receive files.