In an effort to help the Trump Administration identify schools that continue to teach Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) lessons despite a Presidential Executive Order that requires those practices to end, State Senator Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) is doing his part to help end DEI in Illinois.
“Governor JB Pritzker, along with Illinois Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders, are openly defying President Donald J. Trump’s executive order that schools end radical DEI lessons and programs,” said Chesney. “The President set a February 28 deadline for schools to end DEI instruction, and our Governor is flaunting the fact that Illinois schools will not comply.”
On average, public schools receive about 10% of their funding from federal sources, and President Trump has stated that schools that do not eliminate all DEI instruction risk losing that funding.
To help identify schools that continue to teach DEI, the U.S. Department of Education has created a form that parents and students can use to alert the federal government of schools that are not complying with the executive order. The information is kept confidential. To make the process easy for Illinoisans, Chesney has added the U.S. Department of Education’s DEI form to his Illinois legislative website, SenatorChesney.com. That link can be found in the “Quick Links” section at the bottom of the homepage.
“Our schools should be providing an education that is steeped in best practices for maximum academic achievement in core subject matter, so students can grow and become successful, contributing adults in the global economy,” Chesney said. “They should not be in the business of indoctrinating children in radical political ideologies while shutting out parental oversight.”
To further assist with ending DEI in Illinois, Chesney has filed several bills this year that would walk back many radical policies that have been signed into law in Illinois in recent years. His 2025 legislative agenda includes the following measures:
SB 1226: Restricts public restrooms, locker rooms, dressing rooms, and other similar spaces to use according to biological sex.
SB 2078: Prohibits biological males from gaining access to spaces and activities, including sports, that are designated for women.
SB 2079: Prohibits biological males from competing in women’s sports.
SB 2288: Eliminates all DEI programs in Illinois and repeals the state’s Commission on Equity and Inclusion Act.
SB 2619: Creates the Illinois Department of Government Efficiency (ILDOGE).
