New York State Education Department Refuse to Remove DEI Programs
By The Blog Source
The New York State Education Department has publicly refused to remove DEI programming, a strong critique of the Trump administration's efforts to eliminate the use of racial and sex-based educational frameworks. Daniel Morton-Bentley, the deputy commissioner and attorney for NYSED, responded in a letter, characterizing the administration's actions as an attempt at "censorship."
The administration of President Trump is currently reviewing the Biden-era DEI infrastructure that is still present in many public organizations. An executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January mandated that all federal agencies end DEI practices among federal employees. In February, the Department of Education launched the "End DEI" webpage, which allows parents, teachers, and students to report instances of sex or race discrimination in public schools.
NYSED disputes the Trump administration's power to impose additional financial requirements and maintains that neither federal nor state statutes prohibit DEI. Schools were given ten days by the Trump Department of Education to attest to their adherence to civil rights regulations and to stop using DEI methods. Because New York schools only receive 5% of their revenue from the federal government, the state is less amenable to federal influence.
The Department of Education said on April 5 that K–12 institutions nationwide must sign certifications within 10 days attesting to their complete adherence to federal civil rights law and the cessation of DEI-related activity. NYSED has said that it has already certified compliance under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, notably when its Every Student Succeeds Act Plan was approved in January 2025, and has thus refused to comply.
Morton-Bentley maintained that the administration's demands were predicated on interpretations "lacking the force and effect of law" and that it had not given precise descriptions of what DEI operations are illegal.
New York is in a somewhat sheltered financial situation. Approximately 10% of K–12 education financing overall is normally provided by the federal government, but Washington gives New York much less. The immediate financial threat posed by possible federal reprisal was minimized because just 5% of the $40 billion budget for New York City Public Schools for the 2024–2025 school year came from federal sources.
Governor Kathy Hochul has remained a strong advocate for DEI programs. She caused an uproar just a year ago when she said, "Young Black kids… don't even know what the word computer is." Critics viewed this as being both outdated and condescending.
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