Education Department Opens ‘End DEI’ Whistleblower Portal

The public submissions could serve as the basis for civil rights investigations into schools or school districts.

The U.S. Department of Education in Washington on June 10, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The U.S. Department of Education on Thursday launched an online portal for parents, students, and teachers to report discriminatory practices carried out under the banner of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

The “End DEI” portal asks users to name their school or school district, provide its zip code, and describe any potential discrimination “in as much detail possible” in 450 words or less.

“The U.S. Department of Education is committed to ensuring all students have access to meaningful learning free of divisive ideologies and indoctrination,” the portal website states. “This submission form is an outlet for students, parents, teachers, and the broader community to report illegal discriminatory practices at institutions of learning.”

The department noted that the public submissions could serve as the basis for civil rights investigations, adding that it “will maintain the confidentiality of these submissions to the fullest extent permitted by law.”

The whistleblower initiative follows years of activism by parent-led groups seeking to expose the teaching of radical race and gender ideologies in K–12 classrooms. The grassroots movement gained much momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote learning allowed parents across the United States—for the first time—to see firsthand what their children were being taught in school.

One such group, Parents Defending Education, launched the “IndoctriNation Map” in 2021—an interactive database where parents and concerned citizens can report incidents of radical activism in public schools. Though students have since returned to in-person learning, the map is continually updated with new entries.

The Education Department is intensifying investigations into potentially discriminatory school policies, including violations of Title IX, which protects against gender-based discrimination, and Title VI, which prohibits race-based discrimination.

In one of the highest-profile cases, the department launched a Title IX investigation of the state of Maine over policies allowing boys who identify as transgender girls to compete in girls’ sports and use girls’ private facilities.

Schools and colleges nationwide now face an imminent deadline to comply with new federal guidance. In a Feb. 14 “Dear Colleague” letter, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws in accordance with the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared racial preferences in college admissions unconstitutional.

The letter specifically criticizes practices such as discriminating against white and Asian students, promoting the idea that the United States is built upon “systemic and structural racism,” and hosting graduation celebrations that are divided by race. Such practices, the letter states, will no longer be tolerated.

“The law is clear: treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal under controlling Supreme Court precedent,” it reads.

When the letter was issued on Valentine’s Day, institutions were given two weeks to comply or face federal investigations and potential loss of funding.

“All students are entitled to a school environment free from discrimination,” the letter states. “The Department is committed to ensuring those principles are a reality.”