Resources & Materials: April 23 Webinar

“The Truth About Executive Orders and Lawful DEI in Pennsylvania Schools and Colleges”

Thank you for registering for the April 23 webinar presentation from Education Law Center-PA and ACLU-PA titled “The Truth About Executive Orders and Lawful DEI in Pennsylvania Schools and Colleges.”

Here are the recording and slides from the presentation.

In the webinar, we reported that multiple legal challenges had been filed regarding the Feb. 14 Dear Colleague letter and April 3 certification requirement. Please note that on April 24, 2025, three courts in different parts of the country collectively blocked the U.S. Department of Education from enforcing this Dear Colleague letter and certification requirement. These are temporary injunctions, so the cases will proceed, but these orders are a significant win for students, schools, and educators.

For more information, please reference:

• A letter from counsel in the three cases to school leaders.



• AFT v. Dept. of Educ., Democracy Forward: Harmful Attacks on Educational Programs Paused by Court in Case Brought by Educators.

• NEA v. Dept. of Educ., ACLU: Federal Court Grants Preliminary Injunction Against Dep’t of Education’s Unlawful Directive.



• NAACP v. Dept. of Educ., NAACP Legal Defense Fund: Federal Court Blocks Enforcement of Harmful US Dep’t of Education Certification Requirement.

Additionally, the Pennsylvania Department of Education has already responded to the U.S. Department of Education’s April 3 certification requirement, reporting that all LEAs have previously certified that they will continue to comply with Title VI. Please see this EdWeek article collecting other states’ responses. 

The following additional information may be helpful to families and school communities:

• ACLU-PA & ELC letter to school districts explaining schools’ rights and responsibilities in response to Feb 14 OCR Dear Colleague letter. 

• ACLU-PA letter to institutions of higher education explaining rights and responsibilities in response to EOs, Dear Colleague letter, and funding cuts.

• ELC Action Alert about the dismantling of the US Department of Education and related executive orders.

• Our companion piece on how the dismantling of the Department of Education is affecting key student populations.

• Two online trackers you can follow to monitor lawsuit challenges to various executive actions:
• Democracy Forward
• Education Counsel.

• Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission brochure about the Education Division and Civil Rights Protections for Students.

• The PA-WINS coalition (Pennsylvanians for Welcoming and Inclusive Schools), which supports people fighting against extremist school board policies and advocating for affirming, inclusive school environments for all students.

• Sample letter for parents and community members: Please consider sending a letter like this to your school board and superintendent advocating a continuing commitment to equity for all students.

• ELC fact sheets with more information about engaging with your school board:
• The School Board, Its Power, and How to Advocate
• Transparency in Schools: Sunshine Act & Right-to-Know Law 

To report discrimination, you can connect with:

• ELC Helpline, or call 215-238-6970 (Eastern and Central PA), 412-258-2120 (Western PA), or email intake@elc-pa.org
• ACLU-PA intake
• Or file a complaint directly with the PA Human Relations Commission (PHRC): How to File a Complaint to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission; PHRC webpage for filing a complaint