‘Dear Colleague Letter’ condemns racially discriminatory DEI programs

Abstract

On Valentine's Day 2025, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights issued a “Dear Colleague Letter” focused on preventing race discrimination and complying with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Far from a generic Valentine's card, the letter strongly condemns discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin at educational institutions in the United States. Specifically, the letter emphasizes that diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are often a form of race discrimination that “smuggl[es] racial stereotypes and explicit race-consciousness into everyday training, programming, and discipline.”