Numerous staff members at the Department of Education found themselves relegated to paid administrative leave last Friday. This move serves as part of the broader Trump administration’s campaign to purge the federal workforce of individuals linked to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) pursuits. These employees were notified of the suspension of their email accounts but are set to continue receiving their salaries indefinitely. The actions were taken based on directives from the Office of Personnel and Management, issued by the White House on January 21st.
Implementing these guidelines, government agencies were encouraged to inform all employees connected with DEIA initiatives that they’ll be on paid administrative leave with immediate effect. This is part of a strategy to slowly phase out all DEIA programs and initiatives across the federal structure. President Trump’s vision, which involves a major shakeup of the federal workforce, has now directed its sight onto DEI resources in government agencies.
By the end of January 2025, these employees will find themselves on paid administrative leave, receiving their entire salary package along with benefits. This action is in accordance with the presidential directive on DEIA. Further guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) assured employees that this enforced leave is not meant as a disciplinary tool.
In a twist of events, the staff placed on leave weren’t officially connected to DEIA roles. The union reveals that the affected individuals included civil rights attorneys dealing with student discrimination and antisemitism complaints, a grant office employee and an artificial intelligence team member who helps the department grapple with AI in education.
Sheria Smith, union president representing career employees at the Department of Education, relayed that those put on paid leave attended a voluntary two-day diversity training seminar back in 2019, during the first Trump administration. The seminar was made obligatory for senior-level employees, and others were strongly encouraged to attend. Furthermore, such a training was also promoted during the Biden administration.
This diversity training program for department employees was boosted even under the first Trump administration, led by the then-Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos. The mission was to have at least 400 staff members attend these sessions, according to union statements. The successful seminar drew substantial attendance in 2019, which now raises concern that hundreds more Department of Education staff could be targeted.
A new directive issued by the White House last month mandated that all DEI-linked government employees be placed on administrative leave. It also abolished the application of DEI principles in governmental hiring practices and federal contracting. This tricky roadblock serves to impede the progress of the agency’s overall objectives.
Because of the policies pursued by the current administration, these staff members, who were contributing to the American public’s benefit, have been forced to halt their work. This halt to their work is not driven by any obvious need for improvement or change but rather appears to be a calculated move to undermine what little positive work was being done under their leadership.
Hence, it seems that the rallying cry for diversity, equity, and inclusion that the Biden administration boasted off, is now being shushed, and not just subtly. Going beyond just whispers and nudges, the administration has shifted gears to active suppression, forcing these employees to step back from their duties.
Agency leaders were being guided to request their staff to report any undisclosed attempts to continue these programs in federal job descriptions and contract mandates since the recent November election. This just strips away any pretense the administration might have had about ‘encouraging’ DEI initiatives; the goal is clear – DEI has no place in this administration.
With the Biden administration’s decision to go after employees who may have participated in such training sends a clear message – those devoting their time and efforts to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are not welcome here. Rather than being appreciated for their progressive mindset, they are effectively being sidelined, which doesn’t bode well for DEIA’s future under the current regime.
The current administration’s flip-flop approach to diversity training is puzzling. They were encouraging these programs, yet now they’re sidelining the very staff who participated. The goal once seeming noble and progressive, suddenly seems anachronistic within the very fabric of the administration’s policies.
This sweep targeting those engaged in diversity training clearly underscores the systemic bias enshrined in the administration’s policy directives. Instead of fostering a climate of acceptance and inclusion, it seems the administration is keen to suppress it. Employees who chose to attend training grappling with challenging societal issues are now facing undue consequences.
One must ponder over how this administrative leave, ensuing from the mere participation in a diversity training seminar, will shape the future course of these employees. There seems to be a jarring contradiction between an administration that enslaves its resources to promote diversity and yet pushes those same resources aside when they align with its proposed goals.
Finally, the broader implications of these policies cannot be overlooked. By actively undermining Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, the administration isn’t just affecting the egregious individuals in its crosshair. Instead, they may inadvertently have put in motion the beginning of an era defined by institutional bias and exclusion.