March 26, 2025, Education Week, by Sarah Schwartz
As President Donald Trump’s administration has set out to eradicate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in schools and universities, a growing number of state legislators have taken up the same cause—introducing bills that would ban school districts from maintaining DEI offices, hiring DEI coordinators, or requiring students or faculty to participate in related trainings.
Proposed legislation in at least six states echoes the “divisive concepts” laws that at least 18 states have on the books, which prohibit schools from teaching anything that could be interpreted as “race or sex stereotyping.”
But the new crop of bills would go a step further, potentially requiring the dismantling of school district offices devoted to improving outcomes for students of color, students from low-income families, students with disabilities, English learners, and LGBTQ+ students—and in some cases, explicitly banning any activity that aims to deepen students’ or teachers’ understanding of race, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
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In Texas, two bills introduced in 2025 would prohibit schools from hiring diversity, equity, and inclusion officers, ban programs or trainings that reference race, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation, and allow parents to lodge complaints about alleged violations with the Texas Education Commissioner. In May 2021, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed HB 3979 into law, prohibiting teachers from engaging in “race or sex stereotyping,” preventing schools from awarding credit for student service learning with advocacy groups, and banning schools from requiring teachers to discuss controversial issues. An updated version of the law passed in special session, SB 3, went into effect in December. In addition to the requirements in HB 3979, it also mandates that teachers go through a civics training program and that parents have access to schools’ learning management systems. The Texas Education Agency has required that all new charter schools submit a “statement of assurance” that they will follow the new law.
Source: Education Week
Texas Senate Bill 12 is currently pending.
