Johnsen sends letter calling on state to comply with federal orders

State Rep. Gina Johnsen on Tuesday spearheaded efforts to ensure state education departments comply with recent directives issued by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Johnsen, along with 14 of her colleagues, sent a letter sent to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) – calling on the state agencies to comply with the recent orders prohibiting race-based policies in educational institutions receiving federal funding.

“Everyone in our schools – from kindergartners to superintendents – should have the right to excel and succeed based on the merits of their own person, not the color of their skin,” said Johnsen, R-Portland. “Republicans are not seeking to remove diversity from schools. We simply want children and teachers from all backgrounds and creeds to know that when they sit down in a classroom, they will not be judged by the things they cannot change. Instead, they will be judged by their hard work and skill.”

Federal education officials issued an order on Feb. 14 clarifying that, under federal law, educational institutions – spanning preschool through postsecondary levels – are prohibited from considering race in admissions, hiring, promotions, scholarships, financial aid, disciplinary actions, campus life, and all other aspects of student and academic affairs. States were given until Feb. 28 to comply with the federal order.

“My primary focus is ensuring that Michigan schools are not punished for failure to comply with an order just because state officials may disagree with it,” Johnsen said. “Political appointees in state government can disagree with what President Trump is doing, but they must ensure local schools do not become collateral damage in a proxy war they’re trying to wage with the federal government.”

The order follows the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which found race-based admissions policies unconstitutional. The prior federal administration failed to update federal guidelines to match the court decision. The current Trump Administration is championing efforts to ensure compliance nationwide.

“Given the federal government’s authority to withhold funding from noncompliant institutions, we urge both MDE and MiLEAP to take swift action in aligning Michigan’s education policies with this directive and ensuring that local school districts, community colleges, and universities receive clear guidance on how to comply,” wrote Johnsen. “The Feb. 28 deadline underscores the urgency of this matter, and we request an update on the response plan.”

The legislators also asked the departments to provide a compliance plan for the federal mandate, including any necessary revisions to existing policies or programs that currently incorporate race-based considerations.

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