The Maine Department of Education will not sign a letter confirming with the federal government that it has removed diversity, equity, and inclusion programs from schools.
The decision follows an April 3 notice from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. It directed states to remove DEI programming to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, or lose federal funding.
On Thursday, the Maine Department of Education sent a letter to the Office of Civil Rights stating that it does comply with Title VI but after consultation with the Maine Attorney General determined that "signing the new certification would bind the Maine DOE to language of executive orders or other federal guidance without the force of law."
The notice states that the Maine DOE will not sign the April 3 certification and asks that local school districts not sign it either.
A federal judge in New Hampshire ruled Thursday that the Trump Administration cannot cut federal funding to schools with DEI programs. The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and others that argued the guidance was vague and hard to follow.
