Oh, Dear Colleague...?

 

I don't know if you know, but education institutions got a Valentine from the Orange Mussolini administration on the 14th: a Dear Colleague letter.

They are called 'dear colleague' because that's how they start. But this one was not loving or even friendly, even though it was sent on Valentine's. This is the way Cheeto's dictatorship tells educational institutions how they should educate:

On February 14, 2025, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education, Craig Trainor, published a Dear Colleague letter that “explains and reiterates existing legal requirements” that apply to educational institutions regarding unlawful race-based discrimination. The letter also notes the Department’s intent to “take appropriate measures to assess compliance ... based on the understanding embodied in this letter beginning no later than 14 days from today’s date” – i.e., by February 28, 2025. The letter appears to apply to “all educational institutions,” expanding the scope of enforcement beyond the typical guidance for institutions receiving “federal funding” to all institutions receiving “financial assistance” from the Department, which may be read to include institutions whose students receive student aid.

@reedsmith

So it's a threat. It's basically a 'nice college/school/institution you've got there... it'd be a pity if we go after it..." threat. Very Mafia-like. And of course it's basically asking schools, colleges and universities to start whitewashing the education system in the United States:

The letter promises that “legal guidance will follow in due course,” but given the Department’s stated intention to take enforcement action – or at least “appropriate measures to assess compliance” – no later than February 28, 2025, institutions will undoubtedly be parsing the letter for cues as to the Department’s enforcement agenda, including the letter’s suggestion that the Department will take the position that the following practices are noncompliant with Title VI and Equal Protection:

“segregation by race at graduation ceremonies and in dormitories and other facilities” (this seldom happens, everybody walks together; this may be aimed at student groups)

statements or messaging that “the United States is built upon ‘systematic and structural racism’” (the fragility!)

programs “under the banner of ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (‘DEI’)” (duh)

“use [of] students’ personal essays, writing samples, participation in extracurriculars, or other cues as a means of determining or predicting a student’s race” (non-redlined school districts usually have higher writing scores and are overwhelmingly white, natch.)

[Note, however, that the Supreme Court explained that “nothing in [the SFFA] opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise” (600 U.S. at 230).]

“eliminat[ing] standardized testing to achieve a desired racial balance or to increase racial diversity ( guess what? Affluent districts -overwhelmingly white- train for standardized tests, which do not promote critical thinking and Repugs do loathe the idea of racial diversity, of course)

“DEI programs” that “preference certain racial groups and teach students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens that others do not” (well, the more you know)

“reliance on third-party contractors, clearinghouses, or aggregators ... in an effort to circumvent prohibited uses of race.” (So, they’re watching you..)

Of course, the actual letter they sent to colleges and schools is conveniently vague and does not pinpoint very specific examples and does not clarify if student groups/clubs are subject to the same scrutiny. And even though it is also certain that this threat will receive challenges at the legal level (like many other of Mango Mussolini's executive orders) it is scary (the goal they seek) but my hope is that it will hopefully be toothless by the end of the year. 

I'm sure private and religious schools and universities in Red states will be ok because they are NOT very diverse, but what about HBCs? What about HSIs? This is what people get from electing (or for allowing a slight majority to elect) a corrupt oligarch who said he would be a dictator from day one and who was sure to implement Project 2025 from the moment he took office.

And yet here we are. If this stands, you know the absolute whitewashing and debasement of what we know as 'education' in North America is more than certain. Fuck these racist bigots. They want every state to be like West Virginia, Mississippi or Louisiana… Jabba the Orange -and Repugs in general- do love the uneducated.

XOXO

P.S. this hits very close to home and I'm incensed. But remember they are just starting...