BUZZ
Board of Regents aims to increase ‘all races other than white, Asian’
President Donald Trump’s Department of Education is investigating the Louisiana Board of Regents to determine whether its Master Plan for Higher Education violates federal law by aiming to increase the number of non-white graduates.
“According to public records, since Fiscal Year (FY) 2021–2022 and again in FY 2025–2026, the Board’s executive budgets have included performance objectives requiring schools to prioritize students of ‘all races other than white [and] Asian,’” the department’s February news release states.
The board explicitly stated that its goal is to “increase the unduplicated number of underrepresented minorities (all races other than white, Asian)” working toward a degree each year.
It aims to raise the total of enrollments and graduations from a 2020–21 baseline of 14,579 to 16,000 this academic year.
“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,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said, according to the news release.
“Title VI guarantees all students equal access to educational programs and opportunities regardless of race and OCR is committed to preserving these rights,” she said.
Board of Regents Chair Misti Cordell confirmed that she was notified of the probe, the Louisiana Illuminator reported.
She said the board will provide all necessary information regarding its education plan and state budget.
“We are committed to aligning with the priorities of both Governor Landry’s and President Trump’s administrations,” she said.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said the investigation aligns with his own efforts to “eradicate” DEI in a post on X Friday.
“We welcome the @usedgov investigation to shed light on any areas where DEI is still seeping into our systems,” Landry wrote.
Black and Latino enrollment has significantly declined at top universities following the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling banning race-based affirmative action in admissions, according to a new analysis by Class Action, a nonprofit focused on promoting equity in education.
The nonprofit found that at the top 50 most selective institutions, black enrollment dropped by 27 percent and Latino enrollment dropped by 10 percent.
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