VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach school board members made adjustments to their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in a recent meeting, aiming to align them with directives from President Donald Trump. This decision comes as the board awaits a final ruling from the courts regarding the president's order for public school divisions to eliminate DEI initiatives. During the meeting, board members focused on removing language that included terms such as "diversity," with the school's attorney stating that updated language must be submitted to the Virginia Department of Education. The previous plan contained terms that were inconsistent with the president's wishes and required revisions. At one point, board members proposed adding a statement expressing that "the school board values the diversity of our students, families, staff, and volunteers." However, not all members supported this attempt. Board member Melinda Rogers said this proposed statement was an empty change. "I don’t think the public wants a sentence to satisfy them. I think they want genuine work being done in our schools regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. To throw in a sentence at the last minute feels like a cheap trick to appease constituents without real substance behind it," Rogers said. The proposed statement ultimately did not pass. The school board's DEI policies continue to evolve as they await further decisions from the courts related to the president's policies.
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