The U.S. Department of Education has issued a letter to educators nationwide, warning that racial discrimination under Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives may put institutions at risk of losing federal funding and could constitute civil rights violations.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne responded positively to the federal warning, reinforcing his long-standing opposition to DEI and Critical Race Theory (CRT) in schools.
“I am glad the world is catching up to me,” Horne said in a statement. “In 2007, I opposed the Ethnic Studies program in the Tucson district because it was based on racial discrimination using Critical Race Theory.
In recent years, the use of CRT and Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion programs have embedded discriminatory practices and attitudes among our school children. This is unacceptable.”
Horne, who has served as Arizona’s top education official since 2023, has implemented policies to curb the use of DEI initiatives in public education. His department requires grant and contract recipients to affirm they do not use DEI, and public schools must disclose on their report cards whether they respect students as individuals while avoiding concepts like CRT.
In his most recent State of Education address, Horne reiterated his opposition to DEI and CRT, arguing that such practices promote racial division. “The focus on racial entitlements does nothing to encourage hard work, conscientiousness, or creativity. If our country adopts that philosophy, we will become a mediocre third-world nation,” he stated.
Horne expressed appreciation for the federal government’s stance, emphasizing his belief that educational policies should focus on individual merit rather than race-based considerations.
The Department of Education’s letter underscores the Biden administration’s position that discriminatory practices in education, even under the guise of DEI programs, could result in penalties for schools and institutions that violate civil rights laws.
The implications of this federal guidance remain to be seen as states and school districts assess their policies in light of the warning.
