ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to get schools to comply with a new federal directive to remove Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in schools or face legal ramifications and loss of federal funds.

The state of Georgia recently received more than $1 billion in federal funding, according to the Georgia Department of Education website.

School districts will have until April 24 to decide whether they will comply.

Parents like Tracey Nance, former Georgia teacher of the year, have fought back. Nance is advocating for schools to defy the directive.

“Will our students be allowed to have a Black Men’s Club? Will our students be allowed to have a Queer Alliance Club?” said Nance. “How about those father-daughter dances? Will those be gone too?”

The Georgia NAACP called the plan short-sighted, morally reprehensible, legally dubious and deeply dangerous. They announced on Wednesday that they’d filed a lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of withholding federal funds.

“Don’t try to rewrite history. You need to embrace it so we can fix the issues of the past, and we can move forward for all of the community,” said Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs.

The organization released the following statement:

“The Georgia NAACP strongly condemns the decision to comply with the U.S. Department of Education’s directive to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in our public schools. This decision is not only short-sighted—it is morally reprehensible, legally dubious, and deeply dangerous. Let us be clear: DEI programs are not political—they are principled. They exist to create learning environments where all students, regardless of race, background, ability, or identity, can thrive. These programs offer critical support to historically marginalized students, help correct entrenched systemic imbalances and prepare our young people to lead in a multicultural world. Eliminating DEI initiatives does not promote equality—it perpetuates injustice. By choosing to prioritize federal funding over fundamental fairness, Georgia sends a chilling message: that the dignity, inclusion, and success of all students are negotiable. They are not. Compliance with this misguided directive is not neutral—it is cowardly. It signals that Georgia is willing to sacrifice justice and equity at the altar of political convenience, abandoning the very students who need protection the most. This directive is a perversion of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—a law rooted in the sacrifice of those who fought and bled for justice. To claim that DEI efforts are discriminatory under Title VI is not only a distortion of history; it is a betrayal of the law’s original intent. This isn’t just a policy shift—it’s an attack on the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement itself. What’s more disturbing is the silence from school districts across Georgia. In the face of injustice, silence is complicity. We need bold leadership now. We call on educators, administrators, school boards, parents, students, and community leaders across this state to stand up and speak out. The rollback of DEI is not just an educational issue—it is a moral one. We will not sit idly by while decades of progress are erased under the guise of compliance. We will not allow the rights of our students to be bargained away. And we will not be silent. History will remember how we respond to this moment. Let it be known: the Georgia NAACP chooses to fight. We remain steadfast in our commitment to equity, to justice, and to building an educational system that works for all children—not just the privileged few." - In sympathy and solidarity, Attorney Gerald A. Griggs

RELATED COVERAGE: Decatur mother forcibly removed from school board meeting

Copyright 2025 WANF. All rights reserved.