New York Schools Reject Trump Admin’s Order to End DEI—Billions in Federal Funds at Stake

New York education officials are refusing to follow President Trump’s new directive to eliminate DEI programs in schools, risking federal funding in defiance of a sweeping executive order targeting race-based policies.

Key Facts:

President Trump’s administration issued a directive to eliminate DEI programs viewed as discriminatory in public schools.
The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) warned that non-compliance could lead to loss of federal funds, including Title I support.
New York’s State Education Department rejected the demand in a formal letter on Friday, defending its DEI initiatives as lawful.
Federal funds make up about 6% of New York’s K-12 education budget—$2.2 billion in New York City alone for FY 2025.
The Trump DOE cited the 2023 Supreme Court ruling against race-based college admissions as legal grounding for the order.

The Rest of The Story:

Following President Trump’s January 2025 executive order directing federal agencies to end taxpayer-funded DEI programs in schools, the Department of Education issued notices to school systems across the country.

The warning made clear: eliminate discriminatory DEI programs or risk losing federal funding, including critical Title I aid meant for low-income students.

New York’s response came in a three-page letter from Daniel Morton-Bentley, deputy commissioner and counsel for the New York State Education Department.

He argued that there is no federal or state law banning DEI principles and questioned whether the federal government has the legal authority to withhold funding over these issues.

The state refused to provide further certification of compliance beyond its existing commitments under Title VI.

Despite the risk to billions in funding, New York education officials are holding firm.

Democrats in Congress have also urged the DOE to reconsider, claiming DEI efforts aim to correct historical injustices and ensure fairness for all students.

Commentary:

New York’s refusal to follow President Trump’s executive order isn’t about law—it’s about ideology.

DEI programs, once focused on outreach and support, have morphed into systems that reward or penalize students based on race or background.

That’s not equity; that’s discrimination by another name.

We should be aiming for excellence in our schools.

Every child, regardless of race or income, should be challenged to succeed—not handed unearned advancement based on factors they can’t control.

Lowering standards in the name of inclusion sends the wrong message to young people: that merit doesn’t matter and effort isn’t worth it.

America doesn’t need more race-based quotas or initiatives.

We need stronger classrooms, better teachers, and rigorous academics.

True fairness means helping struggling students rise—not dragging others down to meet them.

If a child is behind, we lift them up through tutoring, mentoring, and hard work—not by changing the scoreboard.

There’s no forced segregation in modern schools.

Much of what’s labeled as inequality today is driven by culture, family structure, or poor policy—not systemic racism.

Pretending otherwise won’t solve the real issues our education system faces.

President Trump is right to draw a hard line.

Federal funds are not a blank check for states to implement divisive and potentially unlawful policies.

If New York wants to keep its DEI programs, it should do so without relying on taxpayer dollars that come with legal strings attached.

The Bottom Line:

New York’s standoff with the Trump administration over DEI policies is shaping into a major test of federal authority and state defiance.

Billions in education funding are on the line.

The question isn’t whether we should help struggling students—it’s whether that help should be race-based or merit-based.