Cianna Morales / WHRO News

School board members listen to public comment during the emergency meeting on May 6, 2025. The motion to pause the repealing of DEI districtwide did not pass by a vote of 5-5.

Seven weeks ago, the Virginia Beach school board, after adding the item to the agenda less than an hour before the meeting (which is improper, according to city bylaws) voted to repeal any sort of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs from the district, including renaming the DEI Office to the Office of Opportunity and Achievement and completely gutting the 5-4 Equity Plan. 

Ty Harris, formerly the head of the DEI office of VBCPS, was honored as a 2025 EdWeek Leader To Learn From, which put Virginia Beach’s efforts in providing equitable educational opportunities for students among the best for school districts around the nation. 

Moreover, according to school board member Melinda Rogers, DEI initiatives are defined as educational best practices by most official educational institutions, research institutions and government agencies (prior to Donald Trump’s efforts), not just politically charged schemes. 

Regardless of the morality or efficacy of these measures, the manner in which this plan was passed by the board was entirely improper. On April 8, 2025, at the heels of President Trump’s Executive Order to rid public schools of DEI, the school board voted to suspend DEI and cancel the 5-4 Educational Equity Plan after putting the item on the agenda less than an hour before the meeting. According to the board’s bylaws, an item is supposed to be put on the agenda five calendar days prior to a meeting. Not only that, but two members who presumably would have voted against the plan were unable to attend the meeting due to extenuating circumstances. 

The board has hid behind Trump’s empty threats of pulling funding in order to deprive minority, disabled and disadvantaged students from the appropriate resources for them to succeed. As lawsuits across the nation have halted the forward momentum of the executive order, an emergency meeting called to stop the dismantling of DEI for the time being gained no traction. 

This proves that the six board members sitting on the wrong side of history were not actually motivated by Trump’s executive order, but rather by their own misguided idea of the true reality of equality in American society. 

The vagueness of the plan is also subject to concern. Certain clubs and events, like the TIDE Coalition and African American Male Summit are at the forefront of what is at risk. These crucial clubs provide safe spaces to empower traditionally marginalized groups. However, by definition, special education departments and the Beach Bags program would also be considered DEI. Leaving this otherwise thriving school district in limbo leaves it open to a horrifying downturn. 

Furthermore, it’s interesting that clubs like the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) have been specifically protected, per the board members at the meetings. Obviously, FCA has the right to exist just as much as any other club, but the hypocrisy of the white, Christian members of the board who voted for this plan to only apply the restrictions selectively where it aligns with their beliefs is disgusting.

Luckily, five out of the 11 board members have stood firm in the face of the bigoted plan. 

“It is extremely important to me that our community continues to honor the diversity of all our students, ensure that we include all students in our classrooms and allow students to have equitable access to learning,” board member Melinda Rogers said. “Despite the changes in our policies, the importance of this work will never diminish.” 

The reality is that diversity, equity and inclusion are fundamental to any successful society. Public officials ought to fight for the advancement of all of their constituents, not actively, pointlessly stifle entire groups of people who are simply fighting for an equal chance. Treating everybody in a school as if they are exactly the same is a naive, black and white version of the world. 

In an effort to be “anti-woke,” our local government is now proverbially “cancelling” ideas like inclusion, something kindergartners learn on the playground at five years old. The delusional notion that efforts to pull minority communities forward in society has put white, straight people at a disadvantage is selfish, serving only to perpetuate blindness to privilege that has allowed inequality to fester throughout American history. 

I have spoken before the board three separate times to express the frustration that I believe is shared not just by the community, but more importantly, by most students. In conversations with members who supported the plan, they incorrectly characterize the acknowledgement of privilege with believing that privilege is the sole reason why certain people get ahead. Admitting this does not dictate an apology, but is simply the first step in striving towards a more equitable, functional community for everyone. 

By recognizing that certain groups, even certain schools, tend to come from a more advantaged position, the board is not hurting those schools or students, but simply doing everything they can to ensure that every single student has an opportunity to succeed, regardless of what may be going on at home or what systemic oppression they may face in society.