Fargo School Board advised to abolish “District Philosophies” to comply with Trump

The recommendation is in response to several education-related Executive Orders by President Trump.

FARGO (KVRR) – An attorney for the Fargo School Board is recommending that the board remove its list of DEI-related “District Philosophies” from the Fargo Public Schools website.

The District Philosophies address the rights of select groups of people. Categories include LGBTQ, “Disability Rights,” “Justice for People with Impairments” and “Restorative Practices in Schools.”

The recommendation, in a memo from attorney Tara Brandner, is in response to several education-related Executive Orders by President Trump.

“In order to ensure continued compliance with current and future Executive Orders, I am requesting the Board of Education of the City of Fargo (“Board”) sunset, and remove from its website, the District Philosophies that were adopted by the Board on July 11, 2023, and reaffirmed by the Board on July 9, 2024,” Brandner wrote.

As a condition for receiving federal money, the Trump administration is ordering K-12 schools to certify that they are following federal civil rights laws and ending any discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

The issue is on the agenda for the next school board meeting on April 22.