Gov. Greg Abbott wants to extend Texas’ DEI ban to K-12 schools

(The Texas Tribune) – As Texas lawmakers wrap up the first week of the 2025 legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott has signaled another public education priority he wants on their list: banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in K-12 public schools.“No taxpayer dollars will be used to fund DEI in our schools,” Abbott said in a post on the social media platform X on Thursday, using the acronym for diversity efforts. “Schools must focus on fundamentals of education, not indoctrination.”Related Stories Barring DEI efforts at K-12 schools would expand a statewide ban for colleges and universities approved two years ago. The governor’s office did not immediately respond to questions from The Texas Tribune on Friday seeking more details on Abbott’s remarks.His comments came in response to a series of videos posted by Corey DeAngelis, a senior fellow at the American Culture Project, allegedly showing a Richardson school district official answering questions from an individual who recorded the interaction and asked whether the district would allow a transgender girl to share a room with other students on a field trip. The school official, identified as the district’s executive DEI director, said the district would respond to the situation on a case-by-case...