Arizona Dept. of Education lists school districts not complying with DEI order
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The Arizona Department of Education has launched a new webpage listing which school districts and charter schools are complying with the recent federal order on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and which ones are not.
According to state education officials, the site is informational pending the outcome of several court cases related to the DEI order.
“I am committed to following the law and will abide by the latest guidance from the U.S. Department of Education to take no action against schools until further notice. I also made a commitment to transparency by listing the districts and charters that have responded to the earlier DEI guidance. Federal law and the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution are clear that no person shall be discriminated because of race, skin color or ethnicity, and this guidance aligns completely with my philosophy,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne.
Last week, Arizona’s Family reported that some school districts voted to defy Trump’s executive order despite the risk of losing critical federal funding. Horne has previously called DEI policies discriminatory and warned one Valley district against adopting a “Social Emotional Wellness” policy.
Last week, a federal judge blocked Trump administration directives that threatened to cut federal funding for public schools with DEI programs. Despite the judge blocking the order, the vast majority of Arizona public school districts, 551 out of 658, have already complied with it despite some initial hesitation.
“By contrast, the use of DEI programs does just the opposite and promotes racial discrimination. I believe the DEI guidance will eventually be upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court and districts and charter schools need to treat this issue seriously,” said Horne.
In February, the U.S. Department of Education instructed schools and colleges to end any practice of differentiating people based on race. Earlier this month, it ordered states to gather signatures from local school systems certifying compliance with civil rights laws, including rejecting what the federal government calls “illegal DEI practices.”
The directives do not carry the force of law but threaten to use civil rights enforcement to rid schools of DEI practices. Schools were warned that continuing such practices “in violation of federal law” could lead to U.S. Justice Department litigation and termination of federal grants and contracts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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