Revolutionizing Higher Education: How Trump’s Education Department is Transforming University DEI Programs | The Harvard Crimson

Last week, President Donald Trump appointed several political figures to the U.S. Department of Education. Their goal? To challenge universities like Harvard on their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.

Leading this new team is Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, who awaits Senate confirmation. Denise L. Carter, currently the deputy chief for student aid, will act as the Secretary of Education in the meantime.

McMahon may be new to this role at the national level, having previously been part of Connecticut’s Board of Education and served as the head of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term. However, many of her appointees have had strong opinions against DEI initiatives in higher education. Some have focused specifically on how universities handle antisemitism.

Craig Trainor, named the new deputy assistant secretary for policy at the Office for Civil Rights, was the main legal advisor during the House investigation that led to the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023. This act pushes for the Department of Education to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism when addressing discrimination complaints. Recently, Harvard agreed to use this definition in a settlement concerning accusations of tolerating antisemitism.

Under the Biden administration, the Department of Education rarely confronted Harvard. However, with Trump’s new team, we can expect a more aggressive approach as House Republicans aim to impose legislative measures, like an endowment tax or federal funding cuts.

Trump has already signed an executive order instructing federally funded colleges to phase out DEI programs. The department now has the task of identifying up to nine institutions with large endowments that have allegedly violated civil rights laws, and Harvard is likely to be among those under scrutiny.

Just days after Trump took office, the Department began cancelling DEI training programs, scrapping previous diversity plans, and removing online resources related to diversity. House Republicans have also threatened to revoke Harvard’s accreditation, which is crucial for the school to receive federal loans and grants.

Steve Scalise, House Majority Leader, emphasized the seriousness of this situation, warning that Harvard’s accreditation could be at risk if they don’t change their approach. The Office for Civil Rights, which Trainor will help oversee, is responsible for looking into discrimination complaints, including antisemitism.

Jonathan W. Pidluzny, appointed as the deputy chief of staff for policy and programs, previously worked at the America First Policy Institute, focusing on free speech and intellectual diversity in education. He has openly criticized the prior lack of action against universities accused of allowing antisemitism.

Pidluzny has described DEI initiatives as harmful to democratic values and a factor contributing to antisemitism on campus. He claims that these initiatives divert universities from treating individuals equally and fairly based on merit.

Candice Jackson, now deputy general counsel at the department, also faced controversy during her appointment. She once argued she was discriminated against for being white, and criticized special programs for minority students as racial discrimination.

Jackson has publicly supported Trump’s executive order against diversity programs, highlighting the need to counteract federal overreach.

The new appointees include individuals from various backgrounds, including think tanks and past government positions. Some, however, have no experience in education at all.

Despite these preparations for a shift in education policy, Trump has indicated a long-term goal of eventually abolishing the Department of Education, transferring its responsibilities back to the states.

Jackson hinted at the potential for this change, noting that it would be a gradual process.

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