VIRGINIA NEWS – Loudoun County school superintendent refuses to sign anti-DEI certification

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

Loudoun County Public Schools are defying a state and federal deadline set by the U.S. Department of Education. The superintendent of Northern Virginia said on Thursday that they will not sign an anti-discrimination certification, despite the risk of funding cuts. In a letter released, Superintendent Aaron Spence called the federal government’s demands “vague” and “overly broad.”

Earlier this month, the Education Department asked every state and local education agency that receives federal funds to certify that it does not engage in discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. In an interview with the local news, Spence said he believes that the policy is too vague, so programs regarding history or the celebration of Black History Month could be a violation without educators knowing it. The district said that it is unclear what purpose the new certification serves and said it asks the school districts to no longer engage in “certain DEI practices” and “illegal DEI.” Loudoun County said neither term is defined, and it is unwise for any public entity to agree with them.