Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Akron board refers proposed repeal of three DEI policies to equity committee amid federal guidance and public outcry
Summary
On Feb. 24 the Akron Public School Board voted to send three diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies back to the district equity committee for further review after the superintendent and legal counsel cited a U.S. Department of Education guidance and public commenters urged the board to keep DEI protections.
The Akron Public School Board on Feb. 24 moved to refer proposed rescissions of three district DEI-related policies and one bylaw to the equity committee for further review, after the superintendent and the district's legal counsel described federal guidance that could put district federal funding at risk and dozens of residents urged the board not to repeal the policies.
Board President Carla Jackson moved the referral, which was seconded by Member Amelia Sykes and approved in a roll-call vote reported as four yes votes with three abstentions. The items include Board Policy 22-60.04 (equity policy), Board Policy 22-60.05 (working definitions for diversity, equity, inclusion and excellence in education), Board Policy 22-60.07 (racial equity policy) and Board Bylaw 155 Section D (Equity Committees). Earlier in the meeting the board had voted to amend the agenda to add those items for first reading.
The referral followed a presentation from the district's legal counsel summarizing a Feb. 14, 2025 Dear Colleague letter from…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
