Vermont School District Faces Federal DEI Complaint

Protect the Public’s Trust filed a discrimination complaint against the Burlington School District (BSD) in Vermont after reports revealed rebranding efforts to maintain DEI policies.

If it swims like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. “Rebranding” can’t change that.

Today, government watchdog Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT) filed an antidiscrimination complaint under Title VI of the Education Amendments of 1972 against the Burlington School District (BSD) in Vermont. Media reports revealed that BSD played linguistic games to maintain illegal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices.

PPT’s complaint came after a bombshell report by the Daily Caller, based upon an investigation by Defending Education, disclosing BSD’s 2022-2027 strategic plan calling for increasing the percentage of the “global majority” enrolled in advanced placement and other challenging courses. The phrase “global majority” was invented as a way to describe nonwhite races. The plan also seeks an “increase in the percentage of students of the Global Majority who are enrolled” in course work like honors classes and dual enrollment and strives for the course enrollment process to be examined and revised to include “multiple checks and balances for equity.” BSD’s “Educators Who Look Like Our Students” plan also intended to up the “percentage of faculty (teachers and principals) of the global majority each year and ensure that every school has multiple staff of the global majority.” Vermont is 90 percent white.

With the Trump administration’s crackdown on discriminatory education and hiring practices, and DEI policies in general, it appears that BSD may be in violation of federal law. Previously, PPT filed complaints against school districts in Ohio and universities in Utah over similar allegations.

“Rebranding is often a smart marketing strategy in the political realm when things go south or a facelift is needed,” said PPT Director Michael Chamberlain. “But, when it comes to peddling discriminatory policies like these, rebranding is just a tacit admission of how unpalatable they are. The American public is smart enough now to see through the cheap carnival tricks schools and other institutions are pulling. DEI is inherently discriminatory and no amount of lipstick will be enough for this pig.”

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