President Donald Trump was criticized after the Department of Education (DOE) joined forces with far-right organization Moms for Liberty to announce a new "End DEI" portal where people can complain about diversity initiatives in public schools—and furious critics are calling it a "snitch line."
Moms for Liberty was founded by Tina Descovitc and Tiffany Justice, two Florida Republican women who ran for school board seats and gained notoriety for railing against COVID-19 restrictions in schools, including mask and vaccine mandates.
Over the last couple of years, the group has infiltrated school districts as part of a larger campaign by Republicans to energize conservative voters, particularly in school board elections. The organization has actively worked to remove books from school libraries and campaigned against school curriculums that mention LGBTQ+ rights, race, and discrimination.
Since taking office, the Trump administration has moved aggressively to dismantle DEI initiatives, issuing executive orders aimed at curbing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in both the federal government and private sector.
Earlier this month, the administration warned academic institutions and universities that they could face cuts in federal funding if they continued implementing DEI programs. As the two-week deadline outlined in a February 14 letter approaches, tensions are rising—with a major teachers union filing a lawsuit against the administration over the directive.
In an official release, the DOE said the portal is "for parents, students, teachers, and the broader community to submit reports of discrimination based on race or sex in publicly-funded K-12 schools," adding:
"The secure portal allows parents to provide an email address, the name of the student’s school or school district, and details of the concerning practices. The Department of Education will use submissions as a guide to identify potential areas for investigation."
Justice, the aforementioned Moms for Liberty co-founder, praised the DOE for the collaboration:
“For years, parents have been begging schools to focus on teaching their kids practical skills like reading, writing, and math, instead of pushing critical theory, rogue sex education and divisive ideologies—but their concerns have been brushed off, mocked, or shut down entirely."
But the announcement prompted many to point out that it amounts to little more than a "snitch line" designed to intimidate anyone perceived to be against the administration's directive.
The DOE website’s launch comes amid a rising number of investigations by multiple departments focusing on DEI initiatives and alleged noncompliance with Trump’s “gender ideology” order.
The DOE’s Office of Civil Rights is currently investigating schools in California and Minnesota. Meanwhile, Maine is facing a separate probe by the same office and the Department of Agriculture, after receiving a warning letter from Attorney General Pam Bondi at the Department of Justice.
Another DOE investigation is targeting San Jose State University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) over separate incidents involving trans athletes competing on women’s or girls’ sports teams under Biden-era rules.
