This claim has been disputed within the past few years with Texas's passing of the senate bill 17, or the "anti-DEI law" in 2023. There have been some concerns that DEI, or diversity, equity, and inclusion policies aimed at creating a safe space for marginalized communities within schools for non - white and LGBTQ+ communities restricts inclusion by centering these demographics. However, these DEI offices are meant for coordinating mentorships, tutoring, and pushing for more diverse faculty. These spaces help underrepresented and historically marginalized demographics access academic support and success. Restorative-practice rollouts, a core practice of DEI, have cut suspension days by 18% and student arrests by 19% in large urban districts within Chicago schools (University of Illinois 2023). Research links these DEI programs to reduced disciplinary gaps and improved academic results for Black and Latino students; reporting up to 35% fewer in-school arrests and 18% fewer out-of-school suspensions after DEI-aligned reforms; and research on inclusive schools and bias-reduction finds these practices raise grades, test scores, and graduation rates for minority students (National Education Association, 2023).
Overall, these spaces are meant to foster academic success and provide resources for marginalized groups such as black and brown students, as well as LGBTQ+ students. DEI is essential in closing the education gap and creating a safe space for these individuals. So yes, this claim is true.
