Federal employees put on leave for DEI program started during 1st Trump term

• At least 55 employees at the Department of Education have been placed on administrative leave for attending a DEI training course. The course was encouraged during Trump’s first term.
• Trump described DEI as illegal and wants to focus on merit-based employment.
• Affected employees will lose access to work communications but retain full pay and benefits.

At least 55 employees at the Department of Education have been put on administrative leave for attending a diversity, equity and inclusion training course. The program was created during President Trump’s first term and the employees were encouraged to participate by then Secretary Betsy DeVos. 

Sheria Smith, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, shared an email with NBC News that revealed the department had a goal of training 400 employees in 2019. 

“It looks like they’re entrapping people because they encouraged people to take these trainings … and are now maybe using these trainings as a basis to put them on administrative leave,” Smith told NBC.

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The Office of Personnel Management took this step to align with President Trump’s executive order to eliminate DEI programs in the federal government. The president described DEI as illegal and said he wants to focus on merit based employment. 

An October 2019 email obtained by NBC revealed the program was a two-day voluntary training called “Diversity Change Agent.” It was described as “essential” to helping the department reach its diversity and inclusion objectives. 

“Graduates of this course are expected to serve as role models, spending some of their official duty time performing activities designed to improve the Education Department’s capacity to attract and retain a diverse workforce,” the email stated. “This effort is essential to sustaining a clear and effective Department-wide program.”

The affected employees will receive their full pay and benefits but they will not have access to their email or other work-related communications. The employees include attorneys, public affairs staff, loans regulators and special education professionals. 

Throughout the campaign, President Trump said he wants to close the Department of Education and give individual states more control. Smith believes the Trump administration could be trying to pressure department workers to leave their jobs. 

“I think it is shock and awe. They’re trying to send us emails that make no sense and are super confusing to intimidate us or to make us run scared so we quit,” Smith said. 

According to Smith, there are dozens of employees at the Departments of Education and Energy who have been placed on leave but did not specifically work on DEI initiatives.