The Biden-Harris government’s Department of Education has blown over $1 billion on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives nationwide, according to a report by Parents Defending Education. This distribution includes grants to schools in 25 states that supported President-elect Donald J. Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
State leaders in more conservative regions, such as Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters, criticized the government for using taxpayer dollars to promote DEI.
The “GrantED” report highlights the receipt of $89,440,558 in DEI-focused grants by states like Iowa, Missouri, and South Carolina. The University of Iowa received $1,261,718 to train elementary teachers in equity-centered education within K-12 schools. Critics argue this has led to reduced academic standards and more lenient discipline policies.
In Missouri, the University of Missouri–St. Louis was awarded $306,209 to train school counselors in Trauma-Informed, Antiracist Social-Emotional Learning. Controversy surrounds the rebranding of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) to “Transformative SEL,” alleged to incorporate race and gender ideologies.
South Carolina’s Laurens County School District 55 received $13.6 million over three years to integrate DEI into school culture.
“Inclusion” in this context involves policies related to gender ideology, such as restroom access based on gender identity rather than biological sex. The report indicates that regardless of geographical location, children in conservative states are not insulated from exposure to DEI initiatives.
The National Pulse has previously reported that the Biden government is also rushing to install over one thousand DEI staff at the federal level in government departments before President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office.
