States Stand Firm: California, New York, and Colorado Refuse Trump Administration’s DEI Certification Order
In a sweeping rebuke of the Trump administration’s controversial directive, major states including California, New York, and Colorado have publicly refused to certify the elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs across their public school districts. The defiance comes amid federal threats to withhold billions in education funding—an ultimatum that has thrust civil rights, state autonomy, and the future of American public education into the national spotlight.
The U.S. Department of Education set an April 24 deadline for every state to prove termination of DEI efforts, contending these programs constitute race-based discrimination, referencing the Supreme Court’s recent ban on affirmative action. At stake: as much as $16.3 billion in annual federal funding for California alone, including crucial resources for meal programs and special education.
California’s Chief Deputy Superintendent David Schapira led his state's resistance, declaring there is no law outlawing "diversity," "equity," or "inclusion," and accusing federal officials of issuing vague and procedurally questionable requests. In an official statement, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond defended, “Today, California affirmed existing and continued compliance with federal laws while we stay the course to move the needle for all students. There is nothing unlawful about broad core values such as diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
The standoff is part of a wider national divide. Sixteen states, including Texas and New Hampshire, have attempted compliance, while at least ten states, such as New York and Oregon, have also refused the order. New York's response has been particularly forceful. In a letter to federal officials, Daniel Morton-Bentley, deputy commissioner for legal affairs, wrote, “We understand that the current administration seeks to censor anything it deems ‘diversity, equity & inclusion.’ But there are no federal or state laws prohibiting the principles of D.E.I.”
Colorado joined the ranks of refusing states as Education Commissioner Susana Córdova declared at a board meeting, “I am not signing that; I’m not asking our districts to sign that.” She argued that school districts already provide required federal assurances and criticized the Trump administration for bypassing due administrative process, noting the request hadn’t undergone the mandated Paperwork Reduction Act review. Some board members disagreed, exposing political rifts even at the state level.
The dispute’s real-world impacts provoke anxiety among parents and educators. Tracy Hanson, a Denver mother of a child with special needs, voiced her fears about the potential loss of her daughter’s federally protected Individualized Education Plan (IEP): “Since there’s nothing definite happening yet, I’m trying not to freak out and panic, but I kind of am on some level,” she told local news.
As federal officials threaten to make good on their warnings—recently even launching investigations and enforcement actions against resistant states—the coming weeks could reshape the funding and values of America’s public school system. The conflict lays bare deeper questions about equality, local control, and the evolving definitions of civil rights in education.
Will other states join the defiance, or will federal pressures force compliance? Share your thoughts below—how should the balance between federal oversight and state educational values be struck in today’s divided nation?
