Hamtramck schools says it’s in compliance with DEI order
President Trump recently ordered schools to eliminate their DEI programming or risk having their federal funding cut off. But just how DEI is defined is up for debate. File photo
By Charles Sercombe
School districts across the country had until today (Friday, Feb. 28) to get rid of their DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) programs, or else face having federal funding cut off.
That demand came from President Trump through an executive order. Trump’s administration has been rooting out DEI programs in the federal government, in the belief that DEI promotes less qualified people to job positions.
Critics have blasted those opposing DEI, saying they are racist, sexist or homophobic.
So how does the Hamtramck Public School District, which receives millions of dollars in various forms of federal funding, stand on this issue?
According to HPS Interim Superintendent James Larson-Shidler, he is not “aware” of any DEI program in the district.
The Review reached out, via district email, to both Hamtramck Board of Education President Abdulmalik Algahaim and Vice President Moortadha Obaid, who supported President Trump for re-election, as to whether they agree with his executive order calling for the elimination of DEI programming.
As of press time Thursday, neither had responded.
Toni Coral, the president of the Hamtramck teachers’ union, says that defining what DEI programming involves is open to interpretation.
“I know that the high school has offered (not sure about this year) a women’s studies class, and an African-American literature class. Is that DEI, though?” Coral told The Review.
She continued: “As I’ve watched this DEI hysteria unfold since the inauguration, it looks like the goal is to erase (the history, contributions, the representation) of anyone who isn’t a straight white male. That sounds like re-segregation to me.”
Even the district’s website, where it discusses its “literacy vision,” could be viewed as being DEI-oriented.
“Through high-quality instruction and culturally responsive practices, our student-centered approach individually supports students as they go through the phases of reading and writing across multiple disciplines,” the district’s website says.
The district also provides halal food options for Muslim students that could be argued to be DEI-based.
According to halalfoodwatch.org, “When schools offer meal options that reflect the dietary needs of diverse populations, they send a powerful message of inclusion and respect.”
And, according to the website diversion.com, DEI “in education is shaping the next generation of thinkers, leaders, and global citizens. Barriers like systemic racism and poverty can limit students’ access to equal education. … Integrating DEI into education brings valuable benefits to students and educators.”
So far, the Michigan Department of Education says it is standing by its DEI support.
In a statement released by State Superintendent Michael Rice, the Michigan Department of Education “continues to support diversity in literature, comprehensive history instruction, and broad recruitment to Grow Your Own programs for students and support staff to become teachers.”
Rice continued: “MDE disagrees that pre-K-12 programs that promote diversity representing all children, regardless of race, and inclusion of all children, regardless of race, inherently harm particular groups of children and are de facto violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
In response to Trump’s order, the American Federation of Teachers union and the American Sociological Association have filed a lawsuit saying that it violates the First and Fifth Amendments.
The lawsuit says: “This letter radically upends and re-writes otherwise well-established jurisprudence.
“No federal law prevents teaching about race and race-related topics, and the Supreme Court has not banned efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in education.”
Posted Feb. 28, 2025
