I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private light.

We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based.

One of the main things the new Trump administration is targeting, purging, slashing, pick your verb, is diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Better known as DEI.

President Trump continuing a record-setting flurry of executive actions.

With a new series of orders, it aimed to end all federal diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI programs.

The president has ordered all federal employees working in diversity, equity, and inclusion

roles to be placed on paid leave starting today.

This memo sent from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to the heads of all federal departments and agencies

outlines the president's orders. A letter must be sent to employees in DEI roles,

informing them that they will be placed on paid administrative leave immediately.

A memorandum of dated January 31st, 2025 is to me from our chief human capital officer.

We spoke with an employee of the Department of Education who received this memo. He's a member of the American Federation of Government Employees Union, but he asked

that we not use his name. For the sake of this interview, we'll call him Tim.

This email provides important information regarding your employment status. Effective January 31st,

2025, you will be placed on administrative leave with full pay and benefits pursuant to the

president's executive order on DEIA and further guidance from OPM.

This administrative leave is not being done for any disciplinary purpose. Please note the following.

The memo is less than a page, and it goes on to say that the employee does not need to come into the office, that his email will be suspended, and that updates will be coming as soon as they are available.

Tim's access to email had actually been cut off several days before he even received the memo

informing him it was going to be cut off.

I did not know immediately what was happening.

...