NAACP sues US Education Department over DEI school funding cuts

On Tuesday, the NAACP filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education to halt its purportedly unlawful attempt to discontinue funding schools that implement diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and deny equal educational opportunities to Black students. The largest civil rights organization in the United States criticized the Trump administration in a complaint filed in Washington, D.C., for focusing on initiatives that provide "truthful, inclusive curricula," policies that provide equal access to selective education opportunities for Black Americans, and initiatives to combat racism and promote a sense of belonging.

Additionally, it said that the regulations "advance a misinterpretation" of Supreme Court decisions and federal civil rights statutes, undermining the U.S. Constitution's guarantees of equal protection and protection from viewpoint discrimination for NAACP members.

Requests for comment on the federal complaint were not immediately answered by the Education Department. During his second term in office, U.S. President Donald Trump has made eliminating racial preferences and so-called DEI programs a primary focus. On February 14, schools that received federal assistance received a "Dear Colleague" letter from the Education Department.