Trump’s Education Department Dismantles DEI Measures, Suspends Staff

Following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Education confirmed a swift rollback of its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Department officials announced that multiple staff members in charge of leading DEI programs have been placed on paid administrative leave, though the exact number of affected employees has not been disclosed.

In addition to reassigning personnel, the department canceled millions of dollars in contracts tied to DEI training and services. Officials stated their intent to remove more than 200 webpages that previously offered schools and colleges DEI-related resources. Two internal groups, originally established to cultivate diversity and inclusion among department staffers, have also been dissolved.

On the same day, the Education Department named nearly a dozen new political appointees to key leadership roles. Many of these individuals have ties to the America First Policy Institute, a think tank aligned with the Trump administration and led by Linda McMahon, the nominee for education secretary. However, several significant positions—including the official overseeing U.S. higher education—remain vacant while confirmation hearings and ethics reviews are pending.

The Senate committee responsible for education policy has yet to confirm the date for Linda McMahon’s hearing. Her nomination process is reportedly delayed by a lengthier-than-usual Office of Government Ethics review. A spokesperson for the ethics office declined to elaborate on the reasons for the delay.

In a related development, President Trump appointed Denise Carter as the acting secretary of education earlier this week. Carter had previously served as the head of the Federal Student Aid office under the Biden administration, creating a unique overlap between differing policy agendas and raising questions about the direction of student aid and higher education oversight.

As these changes unfold, concerns are rising among school leaders, college administrators, and civil rights advocates who fear the dismantling of DEI initiatives will limit support for underrepresented and marginalized communities. While the ultimate impact of these decisions remains to be seen, education stakeholders are closely monitoring the situation for signs of further reforms to federal policy.