Cincinnati Public Schools says it has not signed a letter from the Trump administration to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and programs in K-12 schools.
The Department of Education sent letters to state education organizations and local districts in early April to certify compliance with the administration's interpretation of civil rights law or risk losing federal funding.
“Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right,” wrote Craig Trainor from the Office for Civil Rights, in a press release issued April 3. “When state education commissioners accept federal funds, they agree to abide by federal anti-discrimination requirements. Unfortunately, we have seen too many schools flout or outright violate these obligations, including by using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another based on identity characteristics in clear violation of Title VI.”
CPS gets nearly a quarter of its total funding from the federal government. Not complying may put that financial support at risk. In a written statement sent to WVXU Thursday, CPS Board of Education President Kareem Moffett said the school district isn't violating any laws by maintaining its existing DEI policies and programs.
"Cincinnati Public Schools follows the law and will continue to follow the law. The District's policies, programs, and activities do not discriminate against students on the basis of race or any other protected characteristics. CPS did not sign the letter because the District's policies and programs are supportive and welcoming to all students," Moffett said.
The president of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, Julie Sellers, supports the move, saying CPS is standing by its principles.
"The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers are proud that our District leadership is affirming that we provide a safe and supportive environment for all students, and that we uphold our commitment to provide an inclusive education despite potential funding threats. The Trump Administration should not be leveraging federal funding for public schools against their extreme ‘anti-woke’ political agenda. The federal government should be working to support public schools, not antagonizing local school districts that are already fighting for pennies on the dollar."
CPS joins Dayton Public Schools as the only large urban school districts in Ohio to reject the Trump-led directive openly. Columbus City Schools signed the directive along with Akron Public Schools and Youngstown City Schools.
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