This story was updated on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 6:16 p.m.
Georgia joins a number of states that will comply with a directive from the U.S. Department of Education to remove diversity, equity and inclusion programs in schools or face the termination of federal funds.
Meghan Frick, director of communications at the Georgia Department of Education, told WABE in an emailed statement that public schools need federal funding.
“We will comply as our school districts rely on funding from the federal government to carry out critical work for economically disadvantaged students, special education, and more,” Frick wrote.
According to the state education department website, the Georgia State Board of Education approved more than $1 billion in federal funding grants in FY 2025, including for students with disabilities and students facing homelessness.
The April 3 letter from the U.S. Education Department calls on state and local education agencies to sign a certification indicating that they intend to abide by federal non-discrimination standards as interpreted in the document.
Specifically, the letter states that DEI programs are “illegal” and violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, adding that educational institutions that employ them will lose federal funding and could face legal action from the U.S. Department of Justice and fines.
“Given the text of Title VI and the assurances you have already given, any violation of Title VI — including the use of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (“DEI”) programs to advantage one’s race over another — is impermissible,” the letter states. “The use of certain DEI practices can violate federal law.”
Frick said the Georgia Department of Education has created a process to collect certification responses from local school districts.
She added that no local school system has yet expressed an intent to decline signing the letter.
Atlanta Public Schools, Cobb County School District, DeKalb County School District and Gwinnett County Public Schools confirmed to WABE that they have signed the certification request.
Cobb County School District Chief Strategy and Accountability Officer John Floresta wrote in a statement that the county superintendent and school board also adopted a resolution in 2021 to prohibit the use of critical race theory and the 1619 Project, an initiative from the New York Times Magazine to recast the history of the United States as one centered around slavery and inextricable from Black history.
“It hasn’t always been popular but has always been best to spend our time and money on opportunities for kids to learn, not social debates,” Floresta wrote. “Our parents expect high quality teaching from teachers, that’s the standard we hold ourselves to.”
Gwinnett County Public Schools Director of Community and Media Relations Bernard Watson wrote in a statement that the district has and will continue to comply with non-discrimination law.
“GCPS affirms its commitment to maintaining full compliance with all applicable state and federal statutes, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” Watson wrote. “This commitment ensures that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Our district has consistently upheld these standards and will continue to do so.”
The U.S. Education Department agreed to extend the deadline for signing the letter to April 24 after a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty in a lawsuit challenging the federal government’s attempts to ban DEI programs in schools.
The suit, filed against the Education Department by the National Education Association and others, originally targeted the Feb. 14 “Dear Colleague” letter issued by the department’s Office for Civil Rights. It argued that DEI programs were illegally discriminatory and “frequently preference certain racial groups” or “teach students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens,” citing federal non-discrimination law and the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard that effectively ended affirmative action, or race-conscious admissions.
Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs issued a statement Wednesday saying that the organization is “disappointed” that the Georgia state education department is complying with the April 3 directive.
“This move is not only short-sighted—it is a direct threat to the values of fairness, representation, and opportunity that should be at the heart of public education,” Griggs wrote. “DEI programs are not political statements; they are vital tools for creating learning environments where all students—regardless of race, background, ability, or identity—can thrive. These initiatives provide critical support for marginalized students, help address historic inequities, and equip young people to live and lead in an increasingly diverse world.”
Griggs called on advocates, students and parents to protest the state department’s decision.
“By choosing to prioritize federal funding over fundamental fairness, Georgia is sending a chilling message: that the inclusion and success of all students is negotiable. It is not. We reject the notion that equity is a threat. On the contrary, equity is essential to educational excellence,” Griggs wrote.
Some cities and states have chosen not to sign the April 3 letter, and most states that are compliant have Republicans controlling the executive and legislative branches, according to an Education Week analysis.
Republican state lawmakers in Georgia had already tried to advance a version of this directive before the U.S. Education Department issued its certification request.
Georgia House Bill 127 sought to withhold state and state-administered federal funding from schools with programs and policies promoting DEI. The bill failed to advance this year, but Republicans are planning to bring the measure back next year.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Clarification: This article has been updated to clarify that the Georgia State Board of Education approved more than $1 billion in federally funded grant awards in FY2025, per the Georgia Department of Education’s website.
