Following the receipt of a “Dear Colleague” letter from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights threatening the removal of those federal funds if districts did not remove DEI – or Diversity Equity Inclusion — programs and policies, South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education President Nubia DuVall Wilson said that she and Schools Supt. Jason Bing had been connecting with local and state leaders “to discuss advocacy and our plan forward.”
DuVall Wilson said that she, Bing and local leaders had been in contact since the letter was received on Friday, Feb. 14. The letter was sent to all schools and universities nationwide that receive federal funding.
“We learned this weekend of the very unfortunate, though fully expected guidance from the US Dept. of ED Office of Civil Rights regarding its new interpretation of DEI programs,” wrote DuVall Wilson. “This memo would require that districts curtail programs aimed at supporting our students of color and providing a well-rounded education to our school community. The impact of these new restrictions would be felt nationwide and locally, as well.”
“The prospect of losing these programs and policies that we have worked so hard to implement over the years is unsettling and we cannot be silent,” wrote DuVall Wilson in a statement sent to Village Green on Feb. 19. “As an extension of our upcoming Municipal Partnerships meeting on Monday, February 24 with our South Orange and Maplewood township leaders, we have invited state senators, local assembly members and faith leaders to join and discuss this situation and next steps.”
DuVall Wilson’s comments concur with a statement made by Maplewood Mayor Nancy Adams at the Feb. 18 Township Committee meeting. Adams called the Department of Education letter “disturbing” and “disgusting.” Read more here:
Maplewood Mayor Calls Letter From U.S. DOE ‘Disturbing’, ‘Disgusting’
