With other partners, the IFT requested that Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul examine the Trump administration’s “Dear Colleague” letter sent to educational institutions that purported to limit and/or end DEI initiatives in education.
This guidance is very useful, especially insofar as some school district or higher education leaders may attempt to “comply” with the Trump administration letter. Please review the document, which also includes a Q-and-A that interprets the impact of a 2023 Supreme Court case regarding race and admissions. It may be useful to share it with your institutional administration if they have not already received it, or perhaps if they need to be reminded of Illinois’s robust civil rights protections which in many cases exceed federal civil rights protections.
Please note this important passage in the guidance:
“To be clear, nothing in the “Dear Colleague” letter or FAQ changes existing law and well-established legal principles that encourage—and even require—schools to promote educational opportunity for students of all backgrounds.”
We agree with AG Raoul's guidance and believe that the Trump administration’s “Dear Colleague” letter overreaches by imposing unfounded and vague legal restrictions. That is why the AFT has sued the Department of Education over the letter.
We want to know if any of you experience difficulties with your institution’s leadership. Please work with your IFT Field Service Director if you have questions or need assistance. We stand ready to help!