DOJ Memo Calls on Federal Grant Recipients to End DEI Practices

In Short

• Trump believes that DEI programmes discriminate against white people.
• The memo aims to stop indirect attempts to increase inclusion activities for certain groups.
• Schools and universities are to scale back their DEI policies.

In yet another clampdown on DEI programmes, the Trump administration, through the Department of Justice (DOJ), has issued a memo asking recipients of federal funds to restrict or eliminate such practices.

The recipients of federal funding, such as schools, universities, non-profits, and private contractors, will have to give up their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programmes following the memo’s issuance, which is part of President Donald Trump's attempt to dismantle such efforts since coming to power for the second time.

The memo, with specific examples, instructs organisations on how to do away with such programmes. For instance, a scholarship programme should not be designed to accommodate specific groups, such as first-generation students or underserved geographic areas, if those criteria are being used to increase racial or gender diversity.

Read More: MIT Dismantles DEI Department While Trump Escalates Education Fight

According to the memo, neutral criteria—such as academic performance or financial need—could be used instead, as long as they are applied without reference to race, gender, or other protected characteristics.

Further, the memo instructed that a programme meant for low-income students should be applied equally across the board, and not specifically used to achieve the objective of specific racial or gender outcomes.

US federal law already bans discrimination based on race, gender, or ethnicity, and the memo adds to this by aiming to stop indirect attempts to increase inclusion activities for certain groups.

While in the saddle for the second time, the Trump administration has removed many DEI programmes from the federal government and laid off employees associated with these initiatives. As litigation concerning DEI grows, many organisations have started scaling back their DEI efforts, fearing backlash.

Also Read: US Companies Quietly Rebrand DEI as Backlash Grows

The proponents say that these programmes play a larger role in addressing historic injustices and systemic barriers faced by marginalised communities, subaltern groups, including Black Americans, women, LGBTQ+ people, and those with disabilities. They are in place to promote fairer hiring, reduce pay gaps, and encourage inclusive workplaces.

On the other side, Trump and his supporters argue that DEI can discriminate against white people and men, derail merit-based hiring and promotions, and is intended to promote ideological goals as opposed to fairness.

On the whole, the memo is seen as yet another weapon against DEI initiatives. Recently, there were threats to cut back federal funding for organisations that support climate initiatives, transgender-inclusive policies, and pro-Palestinian protests, as well as efforts to redirect funds ostensibly away from what the administration views as politically biased uses of federal money.

Ends/

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Source: Reuters