Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has alerted statewide educational institutions to new federal guidance. The U.S. Department of Education's directive, now meting out consequences, insists schools declare adherence to federal civil rights laws and steer clear of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, which the Education Department suggests could promote discrimination.
Arizona schools have until April 14 to submit their compliance with the new federal standards, or they could lose out on federal funding. Horne, in a statement released on the Arizona Department of Education's website, contends that Title VI of federal civil rights law "is clear that no person shall be discriminated on the basis of race, skin color or ethnicity" – a view he argues is echoed in the mandates of the 14th Amendment. In his reading of these laws, DEI programs would not be just undesirable, but antithetical to the foundational American tenet that individuals should not be "judged by our race."
Taking a firm stand, Horne has championed the excision of DEI frameworks from the Arizona education system. "By contrast, the use of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs does just the opposite and promotes racial discrimination," Horne stated. He emphasized his department's requirement for public schools to assert on their School Report Cards that concepts like Critical Race Theory, which he claims "promote racial division," are avoided.
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