By SUSAN JONES and MARTY LEVINE
Almost a year after the U.S. Department of Education issued its “Dear Colleague” letter that said schools at all levels must eliminate race-conscious curriculum, financial aid and student services immediately or risk losing federal funding, the department has dropped its final appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked it enforcing the directive.
The Education Department memo was issued on Feb. 14, 2025, and gave schools and universities two weeks to eliminate “race-based” practices of any kind or risk losing their federal money.
The American Federation of Teachers union and the American Sociological Association, along with other groups, very quickly filed a federal lawsuit in Maryland that said the memo violated the First and Fifth Amendments. Forcing schools to teach only the views supported by the federal government amounts to a violation of free speech, the organizations said, and the directive was so vague that schools didn’t know what practices cross the line.
The administration said that the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which struck down affirmative action, extends to all race-conscious spending, activities and programming at colleges.
Judge Stephanie Gallagher, of the U.S. District Court in Maryland, last August issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking the anti-DEI letter and a subsequent letter requiring school districts to certify that they do not incorporate DEI in their schools.
While the specifics of the “Dear Colleague” letter were never fully enforced, it did lead to several Title VI investigations at universities and changes to many diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The Chronicle of Higher Education began tracking “Higher Ed’s Dismantling of DEI” in 2024 and has found changes at 437 campuses in 48 states and the District of Columbia. These have included eliminating offices and jobs related to diversity; removing diversity statements from hiring, tenure and promotion; and several other changes.
Impact at Pitt
The Pitt Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion was dissolved in July 2025 and was replaced with the Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing, led by the same staff. Initially, the new office’s website focused primarily on disability issues and sexual violence prevention. But lately, more content has been added.
The Civil Rights and Title IX page says: “The Civil Rights and Title IX team actively responds to reports of bias, ensures that policies and processes are followed, and provides critical education to reduce harmful incidents within our campus community. Bias incidents may include, but are not limited to, incidents of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, as well as those related to sexual misconduct.”
A list of Pitt Communities has returned to the website. These are affinity groups for faculty and staff that “provide a space to celebrate, learn about, and connect over a common purpose or interest.” The site makes clear that these groups are “open to everyone” and are organized from the grassroots level.
At the Staff Council Spotlight session on Jan. 23, Clyde Wilson Pickett, vice chancellor for institutional engagement and wellbeing, said, “Our mission is to continue to build the University's reputation as a place where all individuals, no matter what they look like, where they come from, no matter their demographic forms of identity, can succeed.”
Pickett was not speaking in response to the federal appeal being officially dropped on Jan. 21. He was instead outlining the role of the Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing, which he heads.
“The pieces that I think are important for us to prioritize in our efforts are thinking about the way in which inclusion is very much a pillar and a value that we've all talked about, how we include different community members, and so we will continue to very much keep that a part of what we do,” Pickett said.
“Part of the conversation … is about broad opportunities in terms of how we examine fairness at the University. One of the pieces, having done this work for a long time, is to think about the way in which different community members experience, different demographic groups experience, our University and how we have impact. You will hear me continue to say that we are committed to that work, and I will continue to prioritize those conversations when I see you on these forums or if I see you out in the community.”
What’s next?
Colleges and universities aren’t entirely in the clear, though, according to Inside Higher Education. Just days before the Maryland District Court issued its ruling on the education department letter in August, the Department of Justice released its own nine-page memo on DEI.
That guidance, which went even further than the education department’s guidance, said that basing services on stand-ins for race — like “lived experience,” “cultural competence” and living in a minority-heavy geographic area — could also violate federal civil rights laws. In response, some colleges have closed campus centers and publications that cater to certain racial or ethnic groups.
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042. Marty Levine is a staff writer for the University Times. Reach him at martyl@pitt.edu or 412-758-4859.
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