WASHINGTON – This week, officials at the U.S. Department of Education acted quickly to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and suspend associated staff, following President Donald Trump’s executive order issued on Monday, which reversed these policies across the federal workforce.

On Thursday, the department announced that employees responsible for DEI initiatives were placed on paid administrative leave. However, a spokesperson could not clarify the exact number of individuals affected by these suspensions.

In addition, the agency terminated contracts worth millions of dollars related to DEI training and services.

The department committed to removing over 200 webpages that were said to contain DEI resources for educational institutions. Furthermore, two internal employee groups aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion within the department were disbanded.

Earlier that day, the agency introduced nearly a dozen new political appointees to senior leadership roles. Many of these officials previously worked at the America First Policy Institute, a think tank associated with Trump, led by Linda McMahon, who is the president’s nominee for education secretary. Despite these new appointments, some critical positions, including the chief role overseeing U.S. colleges, remain vacant.

The Senate committee responsible for education has not yet announced the schedule for McMahon’s confirmation hearing. Congress is currently waiting for an Office of Government Ethics review of her disclosures, which is taking longer than expected. A representative from the ethics office did not provide details about the delay, stating that the agency does not discuss specific cases.

On Monday, Trump appointed Denise Carter, who began leading the Education Department’s Federal Student Aid office during Joe Biden’s presidency, as the acting secretary.

Zachary Schermele is an education reporter. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.