Emory University ends DEI initiatives after Trump mandates

Georgia’s largest private university is the latest to discontinue its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in compliance with directives from the Trump administration, according to a letter released Wednesday.

Emory University’s interim president, Leah Ward Sears, informed the campus community that the change was being made in response to “a time of changing expectations and new requirements.” The move is being made in accordance with President Donald Trump’s executive orders banning DEI initiatives in federally funded schools and government entities.

“Federal laws and mandates have been implemented that require higher education institutions to alter fundamentally or even close offices and programs focused on DEI,” she wrote. “The standards are clear, and we must act accordingly.”

As “someone who has reaped the benefits of the needs these programs were meant to address,” Sears empathized with people affected by the change and assured them that the Office of General Counsel and other campus officials will help them in the transition. Sears is Black and an Emory graduate.

Despite the change, Sears maintained that the Georgia university is “committed to every person having an equal place, voice and chance to succeed.”

“Closing offices or reimagining lawful programs is not, after all, the same as ending our unwavering commitment to fairness, belonging and opportunity for all, values that are part of Emory’s DNA,” Sears wrote. 

Sears, who began her tenure as Emory’s interim president on Sept. 1, said she is honored to lead the university and excited to “inspire and challenge each other” while ensuring everyone feels “valued and respected.”

“I’m confident we can follow the law while not losing sight of who we are,” she wrote.

Emory University declined to provide additional details when contacted by Fox News Digital.

One of Trump’s earliest executive orders required a review of educational institutions receiving federal endowments over $1 billion and plans to “deter DEI programs or principles that constitute illegal discrimination or preferences.”

Earlier this year, the Department of Education also sent letters to state education departments across all 50 states, warning they must eliminate DEI programs or risk losing federal funding.

Several major universities have announced plans to scale back or eliminate DEI offices in response, though some schools have attempted to sidestep federal restrictions by rebranding offices under different names.

However, last month, a Trump-appointed judge in Baltimore blocked the Education Department from withholding federal funding from public schools that continued to maintain DEI initiatives, ruling that it threatened free speech protections under the First Amendment.