As Louisiana seeks to have 60% of its adults hold a college degree or credential, President Donald Trump’s administration is investigating the state’s effort to increase the number of minority residents who reach that goal.
The U.S. Department of Education announced in a news release Friday that the Louisiana Board of Regents, which oversees higher education in the state, is the subject of a probe into an objective in its 2019 strategic plan. It called for improvements in the numbers of Black and Hispanic students who receive diplomas and certifications from a baseline of 14,579 in 2020–21 to 16,000 in academic year 2025–26.
Louisiana’s colleges and universities crossed that line early in 2023-24.
The Regents’ plan is just one of many seeking to address significant higher education attainment gaps in Louisiana, with comparable goals existing for non-traditional adult students, those from rural areas, students who are parents, as well as veterans and active duty military
But the Trump administration alleges the objectives for Black and Hispanic students are discriminatory.
“The Louisiana Board of Regents’ objective to prioritize recruitment and graduation efforts for ‘all races other than white [and] Asian’ appears to blatantly violate not only America’s antidiscrimination laws, but our nation’s core principles,” said Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary for the the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights.
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The Trump administration claims Louisiana’s policy violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in education or any program that receives federal financial assistance.
“Title VI guarantees all students equal access to educational programs and opportunities regardless of race and [the Office of Civil Rights] is committed to preserving these rights,” Richey added. “OCR will fully enforce Title VI to ensure our education programs are defined by equality, not exclusion.”
Richey did not say what consequences Louisiana would face if the investigation finds a civil rights violation, but Title VI infractions can result in the loss or suspension of federal dollars and possibly a lawsuit from the Department of Justice.
Misti Cordell, chair of the Board of Regents, confirmed the notice from the Education Department had been received.
“We will provide all requested information as it relates to our Master Plan and the state budget. We are committed to being aligned with Governor Landry’s and President Trump’s administrations,” Cordell said in a statement.
Though Cordell is on a leave of absence from the Board of Regents to run as a Republican in the 5th Congressional District, she remains chairwoman under state law.
In a social media post Friday, Gov. Jeff Landry said the Education Department investigation complements his efforts to remove diversity, equity and inclusion from all realms of state policy.
“Over the last 2 years, my administration has taken steps to eradicate unfair and harmful DEI practices from Louisiana’s higher education system,” Landry wrote. “We welcome the … investigation to shed light on any areas where DEI is still seeping into our systems.”
The objective Richey mentioned has been a subject of controversy in Louisiana since it was publicized in a series of blog posts on the far-right blog, The Hayride, in September and October.
The Board of Regents has since faced questions from House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, and House Education Chairwoman Laurie Schlegel, R-Metairie, about the policy’s purpose and whether it was being used in a discriminatory fashion. The pair asked for a written response to questions from the education committees. Read the Regents full response below.
“The plan does not contain any prohibited DEI preferences, but instead reflects the Regents’ goal to improve the educational attainment levels of ALL Louisiana citizens, including underrepresented minorities as demonstrated in the overwhelming number of objective applying to growth across all student populations in Louisiana,” Regents staff wrote in response to the lawmakers.
Commissioner of Administration Taylor Barras, who is Gov. Jeff Landry’s budget chief, also addressed the lawmakers’ concerns in an email in October. While the minority student objective is listed in supporting documents for Landry’s budget, it is not tied to any funding, Barras said.
The Board of Regents provided its response to the lawmakers and Barras’ email Friday when asked questions about the Department of Education investigation.
McFarland has yet to respond to a request for comment for this report. Schlegel referred questions to state Rep. Charles Owen, R-Rosepine, who also serves on the House Education Committee.
“I don’t see any harm with working toward improvement where improvement is needed, but let’s make sure that we help group X, that we don’t accidentally pursue actions against group A and group B,” Owen said when reached by phone. “We really need to work toward higher and better education for everyone who embraces Louisiana public education.”
“I am for equal treatment for all,” Owen added.
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