A recent report from Parents Defending Education reveals that the Department of Education has allocated over $200 million since 2021 to 48 universities. These funds are reportedly being used to incorporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) content into counseling courses, covering topics such as antiracism, microaggressions, white privilege, and whiteness.

Parents Defending Education President Nicole Neily expressed concern over the potential impact of these training programs on counselors and social workers, emphasizing the need for scrutiny as the Trump administration aims to eliminate DEI from American institutions.

The report, which is ongoing and subject to updates, analyzed program materials, syllabi, textbooks, and course descriptions. It found numerous instances of terms like "microaggressions" (20 times), "oppression" (30 times), "social justice activism/advocacy" (47 times), "privilege/white privilege" (35 times), "white racial identity" (34 times), and "whiteness" (15 times).

The report details specific examples of DEI initiatives at several public universities. The University of Florida's 2021 Multicultural Counseling course reportedly included video clips of Angela Davis and readings from Peggy McIntosh's "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." The University of Northern Colorado's "Understanding and Counseling Diverse Populations" course incorporated Davis's "Freedom is a Constant Struggle" and addressed topics like "decolonizing counseling," "ableism & sizeism," "cisheteronormativity," and "whiteness."

Johns Hopkins University received a $4.7 million grant for its RESET program, aimed at recruiting individuals from diverse backgrounds, including people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals, into the counseling field. Vanderbilt University offered a "Counseling Diverse Populations" class focusing on microaggressions, oppression, privilege, queer theory, and an SPLC article titled "The Trump Effect in Schools." National Louis University's "Counseling and Human Development in a Multicultural Society" included readings on critical race theory, microaggressions, "queer science," and systemic oppression. Marquette University reportedly used a $2.66 million grant to fund scholarships for BIPOC students pursuing school counseling.

The report raises concerns about the training school counselors receive in master's programs, noting that many universities are using Department of Education grants to promote diversity and equity in the field. It also points to the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP), which sets standards for counseling programs, including topics such as multicultural counseling, social justice, advocacy, and the effects of stereotypes, discrimination, and power dynamics.

A Department of Education spokesperson defended the grants, stating that programs labeled "social justice" and "DEI" often deviate from the principles of equal opportunity and nondiscrimination. The spokesperson affirmed the Trump Administration's commitment to restoring equal opportunity for all Americans.