{"id":1627,"date":"2025-04-09T20:06:52","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T00:06:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/news\/press_release\/aclu-statement-vermonts-response-title-vi-certification-request\/"},"modified":"2025-04-09T20:06:52","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T00:06:52","slug":"aclu-statement-vermonts-response-title-vi-certification-request","status":"publish","type":"press_release","link":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/press-releases\/aclu-statement-vermonts-response-title-vi-certification-request\/","title":{"rendered":"ACLU Statement on Vermont\u2019s Response to Title VI Certification Request"},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"class_list":["post-1627","press_release","type-press_release","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"subheading":"The Trump administration\u2019s goal here is no secret: it has openly announced its intention to brazenly weaponize Title VI as leverage to coerce schools into abandoning speech, ideas, and practices the administration does not like through an interpretation of the statute that prohibits DEI. \n","date_and_time":"2025-04-09 20:00:00","featured_image":null,"components":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":{"text":"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Emily Hagan-Howe, Communications Director, ACLU of Vermont; <a href=\"mailto:ehaganhowe@acluvt.org\">ehaganhowe@acluvt.org<\/a>, 802-223-6304 x121\u202f\u202f\u202f \n\nMontpelier, VT \u2013 The Trump administration has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/ending-illegal-discrimination-and-restoring-merit-based-opportunity\/\">repeatedly<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/ending-radical-indoctrination-in-k-12-schooling\/\">explicitly<\/a> sought to distort and weaponize civil rights law in order to attack diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in schools and workplaces across the nation. Following the issuance of a Trump administration directive requiring states and school districts to affirm compliance with its characterization of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 \u2013 the federal law prohibiting race-based discrimination in schools, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ed.gov\/media\/document\/dear-colleague-letter-sffa-v-harvard-109506.pdf\">that the administration has made clear it interprets to outlaw diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility<\/a> \u2013 several states rejected the directive and refused to comply.\n\nVermont\u2019s Agency of Education, after initially directing school districts to certify compliance, rescinded that guidance and apparently intends to certify compliance on their behalf. Rather than follow the lead of neighboring states and rejecting the Trump administration\u2019s directive, Governor Scott instead characterized Trump\u2019s attempt to gain leverage over schools as simply a request \u201cto verify we comply with existing federal civil rights laws\u201d and accused local activists of \u201cstok[ing] more fear and anxiety throughout our education system.\u201d \n\n<b>The following statement can be attributed to ACLU Vermont Executive Director James Lyall<\/b>: \u201cThe people of Vermont <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/news\/open-letter-state-leaders\/\">have been outspoken <\/a>in calling on their elected leaders to stick up for Vermont\u2019s laws, values, and communities. Now more than ever, we must be unified in defending our democracy from existential threats. \n\nThe Trump administration\u2019s goal here is no secret: it has openly announced its intention to brazenly weaponize Title VI as leverage to coerce schools into abandoning speech, ideas, and practices the administration does not like through an interpretation of the statute that prohibits DEI. That is why <a href=\"\/Users\/lernst\/AppData\/Local\/Microsoft\/Windows\/INetCache\/Content.Outlook\/ZEE387SB\/When%20it%20comes%20to%20Title%20VI%20certification,%20it%E2%80%99s%20not%20complicated%20%E2%80%93%20the%20governor%20should%20follow%20the%20lead%20of%20neighboring%20states%20and%20reject%20this%20attempt%20to%20undermine%20our%20laws%20and%20values.\">the ACLU has sued the Department of Education for its unlawful campaign to re-write the law<\/a>. This attempt to certify \u2018compliance\u2019 with Title VI is not, as the Governor suggests, \u2018business as usual\u2019\u2014as our neighboring states have recognized, it is a cynical attempt to gain leverage over schools and teachers. We urge the Governor to follow their lead and reject this attempt to undermine our laws and values.\n\nVermonters\u2019 support for Governor Scott has derived in large part from his willingness to oppose \u2013 in both words and deeds \u2013 the dangerous excesses of the Trump administration that threaten our state and our country. We hope that he does that, and that he takes responsibility for his administration\u2019s missteps, rather than shifting blame onto his constituents, the people of Vermont who care deeply about our education system and our democracy. That is what leadership would look like here.\n\nEarlier this month, a diverse, statewide group of leading businesses, faith leaders, and nonprofits urged the governor and state legislators to be outspoken and bold in defending our laws and values, including from attacks on diversity and inclusion initiatives. More than 150 organizations <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/app\/uploads\/drupal\/sites\/default\/files\/field_documents\/sign_on_letter_to_vermont_leaders_04-09-25.pdf\">have now signed onto that nonpartisan letter<\/a>. We encourage the governor, the legislature, and the Attorney General to take another look.\u201d\n\n###\n\n "}}],"use_default_media_contact":true,"name":"","email":"","phone":"","address":{"address_1":"","address_2":"","city":"","state":"","zip_code":"","country":"United States"},"pgp_public_key":"","spokesperson":null,"related_content":[],"issues":[1366],"toggle-pdf":true,"documents":null},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>ACLU Statement on Vermont\u2019s Response to Title VI Certification Request - ACLU of Vermont<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/press-releases\/aclu-statement-vermonts-response-title-vi-certification-request\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"ACLU Statement on Vermont\u2019s Response to Title VI Certification Request - 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