As the Trump administration continues to compel public colleges and universities to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and practices, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has called for federal assistance in reviewing higher education institutions in his state.
On Feb. 23, 2026, Landry announced via news release that he had formally requested the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to expand its Feb. 13, 2026, inquiry into the Louisiana Board of Regents to include all public colleges and universities statewide.
In a letter to Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary at the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, Landry noted that the investigation he wants expanded concerns whether the Louisiana Board of Regents discriminates against white and Asian students in recruitment and enrollment through objectives outlined in its 2019 Master Plan.
“Let me be clear: Louisiana is done with woke DEI policies. Discrimination against ANY student will not be tolerated,” Landry said in a statement. “This issue began under the previous administration, and we are fixing it. That is why, I’ve formally requested that the investigation be expanded to EVERY public higher education institution in Louisiana.”
Landry added, “If there are violations of federal law anywhere in our system, we want them corrected.”
Governors actively seeking a federal investigation isn’t common practice, and doing so without specific allegations of wrongdoing could expose the state to financial penalties, including the potential loss of federal funding, the Louisiana Illuminator reports.
Why Louisiana Colleges Are Under Federal DEI Investigation
According to the outlet, the Louisiana Board of Regents in 2019 adopted a plan to increase the number of Black and Hispanic students completing degrees and credentials at public colleges and universities from 14,579 in 2020-21 to 16,000 by 2025-26. The state achieved its goal during the 2023-24 academic year.
The target is part of a broader effort to close longstanding gaps in higher education attainment and support Louisiana’s goal of having 60% of working-age residents earn a degree or workforce credential, per the outlet.
While comparable benchmarks exist for several other groups, the Trump administration contends that Louisiana’s race-specific targets for Black and Hispanic students constitute discrimination, the Louisiana Illuminator notes.
Richey has specifically raised concerns about language in the Regents’ 2019 strategic plan that singles out certain student groups.
“The Louisiana Board of Regents’ objective to prioritize recruitment and graduation efforts for ‘all races other than white [and] Asian’ appears to blatantly violate not only America’s antidiscrimination laws, but our nation’s core principles,” Richey said in an agency news release announcing the probe.
She added, “Title VI guarantees all students equal access to educational programs and opportunities regardless of race and OCR is committed to preserving these rights.”
Louisiana House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, and House Education Chairwoman Laurie Schlegel, R-Metairie, also had questions about the policy.
However, staff for the Louisiana Board of Regents pushed back on any criticism. Regents officials said the 2019 strategic plan “does not contain any prohibited DEI preferences,” the Louisiana Illuminator reports. Instead, the plan aims to raise educational attainment levels for all Louisiana residents, including underrepresented minorities.
They added that the plan includes numerous objectives aimed at growth across all student populations in the state, per the outlet.
Federal Push To Dismantle DEI Programs
The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights has long served as the agency’s enforcement arm for sex- and race-based discrimination in higher education, according to the Louisiana Illuminator. However, since beginning his second term in January 2025, President Donald Trump has used the office mostly to advance his goal of dismantling DEI initiatives across the public sector and higher education, the outlet notes.
Louisiana State University as well as the University of Louisiana system plan to comply with all state and federal laws and will cooperate with the Trump administration’s investigation, per the Louisiana Illuminator.
Representatives for the Louisiana Board of Regents, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, and the Southern University System — composed entirely of Historically Black Colleges and Universities — did not respond to comment requests, the outlet notes.
