The conflict between the federal government and education has burst into full view. Harvard University, the oldest higher education institution in America, refused to heed demands by the Trump administration that would have given the government far more control over university operations. As a result, Trump immediately canceled $2.2 billion in federal funds for Harvard, setting up a high-profile fight in court. The rescindment of funds is a continuation of the Republican crusade against education, a war that has spread from elementary to college levels. These developments threaten the freedom to learn in every part of America, including in Connecticut.
Connecticut was impacted by a Department of Education directive that ordered state education departments to adhere to their “anti-discrimination obligations” or lose federal funding. The idea of fighting against discrimination seems nice at first glance, until you see that the rest of the directive tells states that any use of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs is “impermissible.”
At their core, DEI programs are about extending fairness to everyone and making sure everyone gets a seat at the table, regardless of race, gender, sexuality or disability. Despite being a recent boogeyman for Republicans, the concept of DEI began in 1964 as an extension of the U.S. Civil Rights Act. DEI is not new, but Republicans would like everyone to believe that it is a symbol of the woke far left.
If you have been following the news for a few years, you may remember a similar episode with the right’s furor over Critical Race Theory, or CRT, in 2021. Despite CRT’s status as an academic theory, Republicans used it as evidence of liberal indoctrination in schools, leading many red states to ban its teaching. Now, DEI presents an even more convenient scapegoat.
With Trump firmly in power, Republicans have been piling on pressure, as evidenced by their threats to pull federal funding if states don’t comply with orders. The nationwide directive is intentionally vague; it does not mention what qualifies as a “DEI program,” and government officials haven’t been clear on what policies could run afoul of the order. During her confirmation hearing, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon refused to answer whether classes about African American history would be permitted. This has opened the door for chilling episodes of self-censorship, where states and schools eliminate programs and classes to avoid the possibility of losing funding.
Combined with the Trump administration’s attacks on universities such as Harvard and Columbia, the anti-DEI crusade is a direct attempt to exert federal influence over education, and it must be resisted. So far, Connecticut has taken a rather conciliatory approach to Trump’s demands, with the Connecticut State Department of Education only writing to school districts that it is “carefully reviewing” the contents of the order.
Although Connecticut leaders are understandably concerned about losing funding, which would impact districts with lower incomes the most, now is the time to take a strong stand against Trump’s tactics. The problem with bending to this order is that it was not made in good faith, and nothing Connecticut might do would be enough to satisfy Republicans. The Trump administration’s attempt to eliminate DEI is discrimination, ironically made under the banner of preventing that same discrimination.
Harvard and Columbia’s differing responses to government overreach, while technically confined to higher education and related to student protest, are instructive. When threatened with the loss of $400 million in federal funding, Columbia agreed to many of the Trump administration’s demands, including hiring 36 “special officers” to provide security. However, their acquiescence didn’t help the funding problem; those dollars are still in limbo, and the National Institute of Health even froze another $250 million that was intended for the university. Capitulating to Trump only made Columbia’s predicament worse and solidified the idea that they will cave to pressure.
By withholding federal funding and seeing how entities respond, Trump has proved that the issue is not one of a specific, problematic ideology. Rather, the problem is that Republicans simply dislike ideas that don’t uphold their narrow worldview. For years, Republicans have disparaged higher education as being too leftist—JD Vance once described universities as “the enemy”—and railed against teachers in public schools, portraying them as “radical left maniacs.” That last quote, naturally, is one of Trump’s own social media specials.
Connecticut must hold the line against this escalation of the culture war. Money is important, but when the purse is controlled by a government that is trying to extort concessions in exchange for that money, the matter of principle is far more necessary. Connecticut should follow the example of Harvard, as well as other Democratic-controlled states, in denouncing the Trump administration’s orders. Funding can be replaced, but our dignity cannot. Connecticut owes it to the people of this state to be forceful in its resistance to Trump. We cannot pretend that these recent actions are ordinary or permissible.