President Donald Trump and a DEI book (Getty Images)
"Every state that wants to continue receiving federal funds should follow suit," McMahon said Tuesday.
On Monday, Willie Jett, Minnesota's education commissioner, said DEI-related funding threats "without backing in law or established requirements put key programs at risk that students and schools depend on every day."
Illinois' education board also issued a scathing response to the threats, saying the administration "is once again threatening funding for Illinois’ children and attempting to exert power over every district in the country — even as it claims it’s returning education to the states."
"Illinois will never waver in its commitment to helping every child from every community, background, socioeconomic status, gender, and race — which is consistent with federal and state laws and our values," the board said in a statement.
Federal funding accounts for 16% of the Chicago Public Schools budget — over $1 billion — and $6.4 billion statewide, according to a report from Axios Thursday.
The Department of Education building in Washington Feb. 4, 2025 (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
The certification document cites Title IX, stating no one "shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
The certification comes after a Dear Colleague letter from the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights was sent in February telling K-12 school districts and universities to end all "admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life" on the basis of race.
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In January, Trump issued the "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling," executive order, which prohibits K-12 schools from teaching materials considered anti-American or promoting "gender ideology" and critical race theory. The order mandates that law enforcement investigate educational institutions suspected of promoting such content and criminally prosecute educators who assist in the social transition of minors.
Jamie Joseph is a U.S. Politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering transgender and culture issues, the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, and stateside legislative developments.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/red-states-get-line-trumps-dei-ban-schools