At their February 18, 2025 monthly school board meeting, the Somerset County Board of Education responded to a mandate sent out by the U.S. Department of Education that reaffirms discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is illegal and morally reprehensible. This letter explains and reiterates existing legal requirements under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution, and other relevant authorities.
In the spirit of the aforementioned federal mandate and existing federal anti-discrimination laws, the Somerset County Board of Education voted unanimously to uphold all existing civil rights laws and anti-discrimination policies throughout the district to ensure equal rights protections and non-discrimination in education.
As a result, the Somerset County Board of Education is the first county in the State of Maryland to officially comply and historically end discriminatory DEI policies and practices throughout the school district.