The U.S. Department of Education has formally withdrawn a controversial directive targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in schools and colleges, following a federal court ruling that found the policy unlawful.
The department agreed to vacate its February 14, 2025 “Dear Colleague” letter and related certification requirement after a legal challenge brought by the National Education Association (NEA), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and other plaintiffs. A final court order permanently bars the government from enforcing or reinstating the directive nationwide.
According to the NEA, the directive had broadly characterized DEI efforts as potentially unlawful and warned educational institutions that they could risk losing federal funding if they did not comply. The union argued the policy imposed vague and unconstitutional requirements on educators and schools. In a statement announcing the decision, NEA President Becky Pringle said the department’s action “underscores how badly the government overreached.”
The ACLU similarly described the withdrawal as a victory for educators and students. The organization argued in court filings that the directive violated constitutional protections and chilled lawful teaching about race, gender, and systemic inequality. “This ruling ensures that educators can engage in scholarship and teach history, literature, and other subjects where race, gender, and the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion appear, without fear of arbitrary or discriminatory enforcement,” said Sarah Hinger, deputy director of the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program.
The lawsuit, National Education Association et al. v. U.S. Department of Education et al., challenged what plaintiffs described as an unlawful attempt to redefine civil rights compliance standards without going through the required rulemaking process. The court previously found the directive to be vague and discriminatory in scope.
The controversy drew broader opposition from civil rights organizations nationwide. A coalition of more than 60 groups, including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, had publicly called on the department to rescind the directive, citing what they described as serious legal inaccuracies and threats to equal educational opportunity.
With the directive now formally vacated and enforcement permanently blocked, education advocates say the ruling reaffirms longstanding civil rights protections and preserves educators’ ability to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in classrooms without fear of federal sanction.
