“Trump’s New School Discipline Order: Ending Race-Based Policies in Classrooms”

On April 23, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at overhauling disciplinary practices in U.S. schools. The directive mandates that school discipline be based solely on student behavior, eliminating considerations of race, diversity, equity, or inclusion (DEI) in disciplinary decisions.

The order instructs federal education officials to issue new guidelines promoting uniform disciplinary standards nationwide. It also empowers the government to take action against school districts that continue to implement race-based discipline policies, which the administration argues violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by discriminating in federally funded programs.

Additionally, the executive order calls for a comprehensive report evaluating the impact of DEI-based discipline policies and exploring methods to prevent federal funding from supporting such practices, including those implemented by nonprofit organizations. This move is part of a broader initiative to reinforce what the administration describes as “American values” in education.

This action builds upon a previous decision in 2018, when Trump rescinded Obama-era guidance that encouraged schools to address racial disparities in disciplinary outcomes. The current order aligns with the administration’s wider education agenda, which includes reducing federal oversight of schools, eliminating vaccine mandates, banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports, and removing DEI-based programs from classrooms.