In a significant move, President Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday aimed at dismantling what he described as an “anti-white racist” school discipline policy established during the Obama-Biden administration. This guidance, issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Education (DOE) in January 2014, has been a point of contention since its inception.
The President unveiled a total of seven new executive orders focused on education, encompassing topics from college administration to the integration of artificial intelligence in classrooms, and the controversial practices of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in educational institutions.
“The Federal Government will no longer stand idly by while children’s safety and well-being are compromised by school discipline policies rooted in discriminatory and unlawful ‘equity’ ideologies,” states the order titled “Reinstating Common Sense School Discipline Policies.”
Back in 2014, a directive from the DOJ and DOE warned schools that imposing stricter discipline on certain racial groups could lead to civil rights violations, thus jeopardizing their federal funding.
This guidance was repealed in 2018 following a report by the Federal Commission on School Safety, which revealed a troubling trend: schools were allegedly downplaying or ignoring student misconduct to avoid scrutiny over racial disparities in disciplinary actions. However, the Biden administration reinstated this guidance in 2023, as outlined in Section One of the new executive order.
The order argues that if Black students are found to be breaking rules more frequently than their White peers, schools were effectively coerced into overlooking these violations. “The previous letter mandated schools to make racially biased decisions regarding discipline, prioritizing race over objective behavioral assessments,” the order contends.
Under the new mandate, the Secretary of Education is tasked with collaborating with the Attorney General to produce fresh guidelines for local and state educational agencies. These guidelines will clarify their responsibilities to avoid racial discrimination under Title VI in all contexts, including discipline, and must be completed within 30 days. Moreover, the Secretary of Education is directed to take necessary actions against local educational agencies (LEAs) and state educational agencies (SEAs) that fail to uphold Title VI protections against racial discrimination in discipline practices.
Will Sharf, the Staff Secretary, presented the order to President Trump, emphasizing that the previous administration’s policies left schools “essentially paralyzed in enforcing necessary discipline.” He lamented the focus on Critical Race Theory (CRT) and diversity ideologies over maintaining order and safety in classrooms.
“This order restores the authority of teachers to maintain discipline in their classrooms and address disruptive behavior directly,” remarked Education Secretary Linda McMahon as the President endorsed the new legislation.
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The signing was accompanied by the presence of a North Carolina educator who underscored the urgency of the new law in promoting safety in public schools.
“We have three students who should be here with us today. Austin Metcalf, Serenity Baker, and Nahzir Taylor from Charlotte, North Carolina,” she asserted, linking lax disciplinary policies to rising violence in public schools.
“This has been an eight-year journey for me to raise awareness about violence in public schools and the critical need for effective measures. Many administrations have preferred to keep this violence hidden. I stand here today, emboldened by a team that supports this crucial legislation aimed at ensuring safety for both educators and students. We cannot allow public schools to become unsafe environments,” she concluded, expressing her gratitude for President Trump and his administration’s commitment to making schools safe again.
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