Dozens of Employees Placed on Leave
The U.S. Department of Education removed dozens of employees from their positions on paid administrative leave after President Donald Trump’s executive order ended diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in federal agencies. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) reported that at least 55 staff members received leave notices on Friday night, with more expected.
These employees worked in civil rights, IT, public relations, and student assistance programs. Brittany Holder, an AFGE spokesperson, confirmed that officials received no disciplinary charges. Instead, the department cited Trump’s executive order as the reason for their removal. The department also suspended their work email access.
Diversity Training Under Scrutiny
Union officials linked the suspensions to employees’ participation in the “Diversity Change Agent” program, a long-running DEI training course. The Education Department had promoted this initiative as a way to support inclusivity, value diversity, and strengthen workforce contributions.
Internal emails from March 2019 showed that department leaders encouraged staff to join the program during Trump’s first term. Despite its long-standing presence, Trump’s new policy targets DEI initiatives for elimination.
Rapid DEI Rollbacks Raise Concerns
The Education Department has already canceled millions in DEI-related contracts and deleted over 200 online DEI resources. The administration also removed materials for LGBTQ students, Hispanic-serving institutions, and tribal colleges.
As Trump dismantles DEI policies, many worry about the future of diversity programs in federal agencies. The Biden administration had expanded DEI initiatives, but the new leadership is reversing those efforts. With more employees expected to face removal, the scope of these changes remains unclear.
