A leading Republican goal should be to root out unfair Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion plans. However, it’s not for the governor of Nevada. Joe Lombardo.
The Department of Education requested next month that school districts and states certify that they don’t practice racial discrimination. It particularly referred to DEI initiatives that favor one culture over another as inadmissible. It warned that racial bias may continue and lead to the demise of federal cash.
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This ought to be a simple one, right? Racist bias is unlawful and wrong at the same time. Nevada’s time director of public education, Steve Canavero, chose not to sign the document. He also sent a defiant answer letter, stifling the request. He claimed that the Nevada Department of Education had just issued a certificate confirming that it was in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. He cited doing so in connection with the updated Consolidated State Plan’s distribution in 2023 and the NV DOE’s General Statement of Federal Assurances release. Additionally, he inquired for clarification on what specific term meant and claimed that the requirements “remain ambiguous.”
A democratic leadership may be prepared to face this level of opposition. However, Republican Lombardo appointed Canavero next month. When I asked if he concurred with Canavero’s decision to reject the certification, Lombardo’s office didn’t listen. No exactly the steps of someone who wants to eradicate DEI.  ,
That is terrible because Nevada’s educational program contains a lot of it. The Clark County School District is a good example. The Assistant Superintendent, Equity and Diversity in the job description states that the location will work with the Human Resources staff to provide guidance on the recruitment and retention of underrepresented organizations, and also to monitor, evaluate, and determine the appropriateness of the variety of candidates in the hiring and screening process. According to the state’s anti-racism plan, it is expressly stated that it will “develop and implement strategies to increase the diversification” of its workforce. Race is included in the policy concept of variety.  ,
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Word to Lombardo and Canavero. These activities, for instance, favor one race more than the other. They are flagrant breaches of Title VI, which forbids racial bias in “any program or exercise receiving Federal fiscal help.” The recommended punishment for that is stopping or withholding federal cash.  ,
Then I examined Canavero’s says that Nevada has recently verified its conformity with Title VI. Only once and in a very different environment was” Title VI” mentioned in the 2023 Consolidated State Plan.  ,
The Nevada DOE acknowledged in response to my inquiries that” Title VI is no specifically referenced in the 2023 Consolidated State Plan” of the Nevada Department of Education. It argued that “assurance to all appropriate governmental laws” is required for plan approval.
Canavero always anticipated that someone would check his options.  ,
The 2025 General Statement of Federal Assurances upgrade isn’t much improved. Although it requires offer recipients to believe they didn’t discriminate based on race, Title VI is not mentioned in the article.
What’s happening in Nevada demonstrates just why the DOE was asked to guarantee that states and school districts were in compliance with Title VI. That case is currently pending in federal prosecutor. But don’t hold back on that. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 won’t be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.  ,
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Lombardo if make use of this delay to end DEI in Nevada’s education. He ought to have done that for the previous two years. His unwillingness to do so violates his position’s logic in terms of coverage or politics. La schemes are strongly opposed by the general public. California rejected an affirmative action effort by almost 15 points in 2020. While launching his campaign against DEI, President Donald Trump won a significant victory in 2024, including in Nevada.  ,
Nevada did need to lose its federal funding for education if Lombardo and learning officials don’t alter their course. And witty letters won’t help much in that regard.