State education departments are facing a potential loss of federal funding if they don't eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, according to a warning from the U.S. Department of Education. A letter from the Office for Civil Rights within the Department of Education gave a 14-day compliance deadline to all 50 state education departments. This information was publicized by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.

Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Craig Trainor, emphasized in the letter that non-compliance with federal civil rights law could result in funding cuts. The Department of Education asserts that "widespread overt and covert racial discrimination" in educational institutions will no longer be permitted.

The Department of Education building in Washington, D.C. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

The letter cites the Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which deemed affirmative action in Harvard's admissions unlawful, as a basis for broader application of the ruling. It argues that using race as a factor in student selection, even for goals like diversity or equity, is illegal.

The U.S. Department of Education building in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

Trainor affirmed that the Department of Education will strictly enforce civil rights laws for all educational institutions, from preschool to postsecondary, and state agencies receiving federal financial assistance. State education departments are instructed to align their policies with civil rights law, stop circumventing race-based restrictions through indirect methods, and discontinue using third-party entities to bypass these prohibitions.

The U.S. Department of Education building in Washington, D.C. (STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

These actions follow President Trump's executive orders mandating federal agencies to develop plans for eliminating funding for discriminatory practices in K-12 schools, including those related to gender ideology and discriminatory equity ideology. Similar directives have been issued to end DEI programs within federal agencies. The Department of Education has already removed DEI references from its materials and websites, placed employees involved in DEI initiatives on leave, and dissolved its Diversity & Inclusion Council.