Parental rights groups call for statewide education audits in all 50 states

First on Fox: Dozens of parental rights organizations have signed a letter sent to all 50 states calling for top-to-bottom audits of state education laws and policies, warning that DEI, poor hiring practices, and discrimination based on gender and sexuality remain prevalent in K-12 schools across the country.

The letter, sent by the education advocacy organization along with more than 20 other parental rights in education groups, urges leaders in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., to rescind or review any provisions that allow race- or gender-based preferences in hiring and programs, violate Titles VI, VII, or IX of the Civil Rights Act or the Equal Protection Clause, and undermine student safety through poor auditing practices. Employment.

“It has become common practice for states to violate federal law in the name of diversity,” Erika Sanzi, communications director for the education advocacy organization, told Fox News Digital.

“With so many ideological bullies in state government and in our schools, cowardice and ignorance have reigned supreme for too long. State laws, regulations, and practices that encourage (and even require) discrimination based on race and gender must be exposed and eliminated. It is time for every state to clean up the mess they have made in the name of DEI.”

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Defense for Education sent a letter to all 50 states calling for an audit of K-12 schools to ensure DEI is not being implemented. (George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Getty)

One of the top concerns expressed in the letter is teacher screening, specifically the resignation of Superintendent Ian Roberts in Des Moines, Iowa, after he was Arrested last month by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after a short car chase. Authorities said at the time that he was detained because he had a “final order of removal and no work permit.”

Roberts entered the United States illegally from Guyana and was not legally authorized to work in the United States after his work authorization card expired in 2020.

Department of Homeland Security officials said Roberts faced weapons charges as of Feb. 5, 2020, and was granted a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May 2024. After his arrest, authorities said they found a loaded handgun in his car.

In addition, numerous examples of teachers accused of child sexual abuse have been reported in recent years. “A public school employee who sexually abuses children is transferred, on average, to three school districts and can abuse up to 73 children before being fired or facing legal consequences,” the letter states.

“Collective bargaining agreements negotiated between teachers unions and school districts are a major contributor to the problem, because they often allow employee files to be redacted, so no record of abuse is left once the perpetrator leaves the system,” the letter says. “This widespread lack of transparency in educational recruitment is astonishing and unacceptable.”

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Protesters in Michigan demonstrated against President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI policies and denounced federal rollbacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. (Getty Images/Dominique Gwen)

Some of the groups signing the letter include School Boards for Academic Excellence, Parents Unite, Protector Parent Coalition, Conservative Ladies of America, Awake Illinois, Power2Parent, and the California Foundation For equal rights.

The Trump administration has made efforts to roll back DEI practices across the board, including by Executive order Combating this practice in the federal government, In the army, And in schools.

As a result, Fox News Digital reported on several examples of companies and schools that failed to cancel their DEI programs, but instead rebranded them using different terminology and moved DEI staff to other departments.

“It’s the exact same toxic bullshit under a new wrapper, and they’re just hoping to extend the graft, because a lot of these people, I would say most people, who work in DEI are useless,” said consumer research executive Will Held. He told Fox News Digital Earlier this year.

“At first, they resisted and tried to defend DEI itself, but when it became very clear that what DEI really was was anti-white, anti-Asian and sometimes anti-Jewish discrimination in hiring and promotion, they abandoned that. Now what they’re trying to do is simply change the terminology that had become so toxic to their brand. So we’re seeing a lot of companies go from having departments for DEI, for example, to “Sections of belonging” or “Sections of inclusion.”

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Ian Roberts, a former Des Moines Public School superintendent, was arrested last month on immigration and weapons charges. (Polk County Sheriff/AP)

Additionally, Education Defense warns that many current state laws do not align with federal guidance.

“Our assessment of state education laws from coast to coast reveals a troubling truth: Many state laws conflict with federal anti-discrimination provisions and would invite federal scrutiny,” Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow at Education Defense, told Fox News Digital. “And state laws like those in Iowa, Illinois and Maine require preference based on race and gender.” “In everything from programs to sports, from scholarships to recruiting.”

“Civil Rights Act mandates for equality in educational programs are not being met in too many American classrooms, and the duty to secure those promises falls to state leaders charged with passing and enforcing state laws. It is time for states to clean house – because, fundamentally, education is, and always has been, a state proposition.”

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Over the past several years, a few dozen DEI consulting groups have secured more than a hundred million dollars in taxpayer-funded contracts for K-12 schools across the country, according to a report released by Defending Education earlier this year. Reported for the first time By Fox News Digital.

In total, the groups have raised more than $123 million from public schools in 40 states. The report found DEI contracts for public schools in both red and blue states, from Florida and Alabama to California and Washington.

“Public education is the responsibility of the state,” wrote Defense of Education in A press releasein addition to links to the messages sent to each country separately.

“However, every state that accepts federal funds must follow federal civil rights law. Too many states do not comply, whether through race-based hiring and programs, through break/locker room and athletic policies that violate gender equity or erasing personnel records that allow harassers to move between schools undetected. Our organizations call for ‘legal housekeeping’ “To ensure that schools operate legally, transparently, and in the best interests of students and families.”

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.