When there is one side that is for promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I.) and another one does not, you can be pretty sure that the group that favors D.E.I. is on the right side of history.
Such is the case of the Kyrene Elementary School District in the Tempe/Chandler/Ahwatukee area of Maricopa County’s East Valley whose governing board members have chosen to maintain policies that promote D.E.I.
That is a big no no to Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne who, fearing a primary challenge from the far right in the next election, has channelled his Anti-DEI background in threatening to withhold about a million and a half dollars in federal funds from Kyrene if it does not adhere to Trump-MAGA guidelines to do away with anything remotely construed to be D.E.I.
In remarks to the public, Mr. Horne stated in a press statement:
“Kyrene and any district or charter that is not taking the federal DEI guidance will lose their federal dollars. The U.S. Department of Education has been abundantly clear with its most recent guidance against the use of DEI language in schools. Federal law and the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution are clear that no person shall be discriminated because of race, skin color or ethnicity, and this guidance aligns completely with my philosophy. By contrast, the use of DEI programs does just the opposite and promotes racial discrimination. Schools ignore the federal guidance at their own peril. This is not an empty threat, and districts and charter schools need to treat it seriously…“The most interesting philosophical divide in our country right now is between those like me who believe in individual merit, and those who want to substitute racial entitlement. DEI is all about racial entitlement. The problem with racial entitlement is that it does nothing to promote hard work, conscientiousness, or creativity. If those advocating for it succeed in having it replace individual merit, we will become a mediocre, third world country. China will become the dominant power.”
Apparently in Mr. Horne’s world view, most non whites are lazy and non productive members of society.
Seems rather racist. Not a quality one would expect to find in a Superintendent of Public Instruction.
And the Orwellian contention from Horne that D.E.I. is actually racist.
And fringe MAGA supporters think this man is not reactionary enough.
Responding to Horne’s claims and threats, Kyrene Elementary Governing Board President Kevin Walsh told media news outlets that he “was blindsided” by Horne’s announcement and that the districts D.E.I. policies are not “discriminatory.”
Walsh conveyed that “We have a diversity, equity, and inclusion policy that’s full of inclusive language. It’s not discriminatory… We’ve made a promise to our community and our families to provide inclusive environments and we stand behind that.”
On the $1.5 million Horne is threatening to withhold, Walsh said, “I don’t know where that number and his calculations come from…We think that we are entitled to every penny that the federal government has allocated. And if he chooses to withhold those funds, all options are on the table.”
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued a statement, condemning Horne’s unattainable position, relaying:
“Last week, Superintendent Horne threatened to withhold more than $1.5 million in federal funding from the Kyrene School District—not because the district broke any laws, but because it proposed a policy that signaled the Districts’ commitment to creating a kind, empathetic and respectful workplace. Superintendent Horne cited no legal basis for his threat— because, in fact, there is none.
The funding he’s threatening to block supports low-income students, teacher training, and other classroom programs. Rather than do his job and ensure that funds appropriated by Congress and the Legislature reach Arizona schools—as the law requires—Superintendent Horne is choosing to engage in ideological nonsense at the expense of students and teachers.
Arizona schools should, as always, follow all applicable state and federal laws. But they should feel free to ignore baseless, politicized threats from the State Superintendent’s office, which has no legitimate role whatsoever in blocking the distribution of these federal funds.”
Bravo to Kyrene and other school districts that stand up to local, state, and federal MAGA-Project 2025 attempts to create a white male nationalist society where everyone else are second class citizens with restricted rights and opportunities.
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