Hartland board disbands DEI committee, directs superintendent to report on compliance with U.S. Education Department letter

Hartland Consolidated Schools Board of Education members voted Feb. 27 to disband the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) committee and require the superintendent to deliver a plan, before the board’s March 17 meeting, to bring the district into compliance with a U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights Dear Colleague letter dated Feb. 14, 2025.

The decision came after more than two hours of public comment and a lengthy board debate about how to interpret federal guidance, the district’s existing agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and where social-emotional learning and inclusive programs fit in the district’s curriculum.

Why it matters: Public speakers at the meeting — parents, former staff and community residents — presented sharply different views on the district’s DEI work and a recent elementary “diversity” assembly some commenters called a “diversity circus.” Several speakers warned the board that continuing certain DEI activities could risk federal funding or litigation; others urged the board to preserve inclusive programs such as Unified Athletics and school-based food supports.

Public comment highlights included Tiffany Baird saying the board’s actions were “nothing more than smoke and mirrors” and that dissolving one committee would allow staff-led DEI work to continue without board oversight; Connie Robinson recounted the district’s investigations and questioned continued partnerships with outside equity groups; and Gwen Bliss said she supported “the discontinuation of…