Department of Education Takes Action to Eliminate DEI, Appoints New Senior-Level Staff

Two girls read a book together during a lesson at Carter Traditional Elementary School in Louisville, Ky., on Jan. 24, 2022. Jon Cherry/Getty Images

The Department of Education announced on Jan. 23 that it was taking steps to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the agency, which includes putting related staff on paid leave.

“These actions are in line with President Trump’s ongoing commitment to end illegal discrimination and wasteful spending across the federal government.” said a statement from the agency. “They are the first step in reorienting the agency toward prioritizing meaningful learning ahead of divisive ideology in our schools.”

The decision follows President Donald Trump’s executive order “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing” issued on Jan. 20.

The agency announced a slew of recent senior recruitments on the same day as the DEI declaration, who will work toward implementing Trump’s orders in the education sector. The previous administration’s department head Miguel Cardona has been replaced with acting Secretary of Education Denise Carter as Trump’s nominee for the post, Linda McMahon, awaits Senate clearance.

In the DEI termination announcement, the department’s list of notable actions begins with “Dissolution of the Department’s Diversity & Inclusion Council, effective immediately.” The Council had been set up by former President Barack Obama following his 2011 executive order focusing on diversity and inclusion.

The department said it canceled more than $2.6 million worth of ongoing DEI training and service contracts, and placed staff tasked with implementing the prior administration’s DEI initiatives on paid administrative leave.

More than 200 web pages from the department’s website that housed DEI resources have been identified for removal. These web pages “encouraged schools and institutions of higher education to promote or endorse harmful ideological programs,” said the federal agency.

Another program ended by the agency is the Employee Engagement Diversity Equity Inclusion Accessibility Council under the Office for Civil Rights.

Trump’s Orders, New Recruits

Trump’s executive order accused the Biden administration of forcing “illegal and immoral discrimination programs” under the guise of DEI into the government. Trump called it a “concerted effort” starting from the first day of the Biden administration.

The Biden order resulted in almost every federal agency submitting plans detailing how they push DEI in the federal government, with these plans resulting in “immense public waste and shameful discrimination,” the order alleged.

“That ends today. Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great.”

On Jan. 21, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management issued a memo stating that all DEI federal employees are to be put on paid leave while agencies dismantle diversity initiatives.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration sent memos to several federal agencies, alleging that some departments were attempting to hide their DEI programs by using “coded or imprecise language.”

The memo encouraged employees to report such attempts, warning that “failure to report this information within 10 days will result in adverse consequences.”

Among new staff picks for the Department of Education is Rachel Oglesby as the department’s chief of staff. Oglesby was America First Policy Institute’s chief state action officer and director before assuming her latest role. She had previously worked as chief of policy and deputy chief of staff for Gov. Kristi Noem in South Dakota.

Then, there is Jonathan Pidluzny, who had also worked with the America First Policy Institute. He has been appointed as the deputy chief of staff for policy and programs.

Steve Warzoha will be the new White House Liaison after most recently serving on the Trump-Vance Transition Team.

Education and DEI

According to the advocacy group Parents Defending Education, the education department has granted over $1 billion since 2021 for various DEI initiatives, as of Dec. 12, 2024. The funding has gone to 296 K-12 school districts across 42 states plus the District of Columbia.

The department granted more than $489 million for DEI hiring which includes recruiting, training, and hiring people on the basis of race, the group said.

It gave over $343 million to DEI programming that includes youth activism. More than $169 million was set aside for DEI initiatives aimed at mental health training programs and social-emotional learning initiatives.

On Tuesday, Trump signed another executive order titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity to cut off federal funding for any learning institution that pushes DEI policies, saying they undermine ”traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement,” federal civil rights law, and national unity.