On Feb. 14, a letter addressed to schools across the U.S. from Craig Trainor, the nation’s assistant secretary for civil rights, alerted colleges that by Feb. 28, his policy would withhold federal funding from institutions with “discriminatory policies and practices” that are “smuggling racial stereotypes and explicit race-consciousness into everyday training, programming, and discipline.” This policy explicitly referred to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices as its primary target for elimination.
If his procedures were to go into effect, Craig Trainor’s letter would prevent students from receiving scholarships that benefit minority groups and defund colleges that have DEI programs, which tailor services to particular groups. This may affect Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), which have been around since before the Civil Rights Act and provide education opportunities to black students.
Brian Ramos is the vice president of DEIA (DEI and Accessibility) at Shoreline Community College (SCC). In a letter sent on Feb. 20, he wrote, “[Initiative 200 (I-200)] already prohibits WA State public colleges and universities from granting preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin.” He also let staff know that the SCC will stay in “close communication” with the relevant law offices to “ensure full compliance with the law while upholding our deep commitment to serving all students equitably.”
Despite the date of effect for Craig Trainor’s letter being Feb. 28, it seems as if these laws have yet to go into effect. There has also been pushback from many educators against these proposed laws.
Craig Trainor’s letter is based upon a reinterpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, with the legal precedent from the 2023 Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard case. The 2023 case argued that the practice of affirmative action in colleges and universities was unlawful and violated the Civil Rights Act. This precedent is being used to systematically remove institutions and programs that benefit minority groups using the Civil Rights Act.
