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Emails and handouts from Manchester School District staff make two things clear.

The school district is still embracing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion content and policies. And they don’t want parents or the public to know about it.

The district is scrambling after a student handout using DEI teacher training materials in a class on the Holocaust was posted on the internet.

When it did, Amadou Hamady Sy, the Manchester School District’s executive director of Student Engagement, Outcomes and Success, sent staffers an email reminding them to keep the DEI lessons to themselves. Hamady Sy expressed concern that the materials had leaked to “individuals outside the school community and even the local press.”

“Given the current political climate and heightened scrutiny around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work, we are again reminding all staff to refrain from sharing any training materials, especially presentation slides, surveys, facilitator guides, or discussion content with students or external parties,” Hamady Sy wrote. “These resources were designed strictly for internal staff development purposes.”

Not the right answer for parents or opponents of race-based DEI curricula.

“They don’t want parents and taxpayers to know that teachers are being trained to bring these divisive concepts into the classroom,” said state Sen. Victoria Sullivan (R-Manchester).

The handout in question was given to eighth-grade students at the Henry McLaughlin Jr. Middle School. It purported to lay out the “Wheel of Power and Privilege” in society, encouraging children to contemplate their own “power and privilege” by circling attributes they felt matched their own, such as skin color and economic background.

There was also a packet on so-called “microaggressions” — actions that can be labeled as racist or discriminatory even if the person committing them has no racist or discriminatory beliefs or motives.

The school district claims it was part of its Holocaust education, a state requirement. However, the handout makes no mention of Nazi Germany’s slaughter of Jews.

Sullivan called the materials the type of divisive, race-based ideology that the legislature has been trying to get out of schools for years.

“Within that lesson was a power and privilege wheel that sent a message to students that some children are better than others. That is a message that should never be put upon children,” Sullivan said. “All children are unique in their talents and abilities. Telling children that they are better than some people or are less than others based on skin color, sexuality, body size, and gender is unacceptable. The lesson also uses the term ‘cisgender,’ which is a made-up term not rooted in any science and has been deemed a slur.”

When parents began complaining about the DEI materials, district officials blamed the teacher. According to the district, the microaggressions worksheet and “Wheel of Power and Privilege” are part of teacher training and never intended for students.

“In this isolated incident, students were asked to complete an anonymous self-reflection form to explore their understanding of self to text within the unit. Unfortunately, materials intended only for staff professional development were used for this anonymous student self-reflection,” the district said in a statement released Friday. “We want to be clear that there was never a survey completed as part of this lesson or unit. The district team has taken steps so this action is not repeated.”

“But the fact remains the materials are used for teacher training, which shows the school district has the wrong priorities,” Sullivan said.

“Manchester repeatedly makes headlines for inadequate proficiency scores. Yet, this is where they are spending taxpayer dollars,” Sullivan said.

And, Sullivan added, the fact that the school is trying to keep materials secret from parents and the public raises more questions about what’s being taught in classrooms.

The Manchester School District already fought a lawsuit defending its right to keep parents in the dark about their children’s behavior regarding sex and gender at school. In court, Manchester argued the district has no legal duty to tell parents if their child identifies as a different sex at school than his or her biological one.

If Manchester parents don’t like it, “They can homeschool, or they can send their child to a private school; those are options available to them,” said the district’s attorney, Meghan Glynn.

The school district prevailed before the New Hampshire Supreme Court.

“We cannot conclude that any interference with parental rights which may result from non-disclosure is of constitutional dimension,” the Supreme Court justices ruled.

President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI agenda hit a road bump Thursday as United States District Court Judge Landya McCafferty issued a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from punishing schools for DEI curriculum.

McCafferty, a Barack Obama appointee who sits in New Hampshire, kicked off her 85-page ruling by arguing that Trump’s anti-DEI push is totalitarian.

“‘[T]he right to speak freely and to promote diversity of ideas and programs is… one of the chief distinctions that sets us apart from totalitarian regimes.’ Terminiello v. City of Chicago, 337 U.S. 1, 4 (1949). In this case, the court reviews action by the executive branch that threatens to erode these foundational principles,” McCafferty wrote.

McCafferty’s ruling was one of three issued in separate courts ruling against the Trump administration’s attempt to end race-based policies implemented in the name of “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” (DEI).

The injunction stems from Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s February letter to schools — formally known as a “Dear Colleague” letter — directing the removal of DEI content. Institutions that did not comply were threatened with the loss of federal funds. The National Educators Association and the NEA’s New Hampshire branch brought a lawsuit against the anti-DEI order, along with the Center for Black Educator Development.

“For many schools, loss of federal funding would be crippling. It is predictable—if not obvious— that such schools will eliminate all vestiges of DEI to avoid even the possibility of funding termination,” McCafferty wrote.

McMahon’s letter defines DEI as programs that “teach students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens that others do not” and/or “stigmatize students who belong to racial groups.”

But McCafferty found the DEI prohibition outlined in McMahon’s letter and follow-up communications from the federal Department of Education (DOE) demonstrate that the anti-DEI order is vague, unconstitutional, and unenforceable.

“Although the 2025 Letter does not make clear what exactly it prohibits, it makes at least one thing clear: schools should not come close to anything that could be considered ‘DEI,’ lest they be deemed to have guessed wrong in violation of the 2025 Letter’s vague and expansive prohibitions,” McCafferty wrote. 

Under the vague DEI definition in McMahon’s letter and subsequent DOE’s communications, an elementary school teacher promoting “The Golden Rule,” a high school history teacher giving a lesson on the rise of the KKK in the aftermath of the Civil War, or a literature teacher assigning work based on the novels  “To Kill A Mockingbird” or “Heart of Darkness” could all potentially be punished, McCafferty wrote. 

“DEI as a concept is broad: one can imagine a wide range of viewpoints on what the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion mean when describing a program or practice. It is no surprise that several courts— including this one—have struck down similar laws as void for vagueness,” McMahon wrote.

The Trump administration showed no sign of backing down.

“Any judge objecting to this effort is making a mockery of the Constitution they swore an oath to uphold,” White House spokesman Harrison Fields said in a statement.

Attorneys for the Trump administration argued McMahon wasn’t announcing a DEI ban, but instead advising schools against engaging in racial discrimination. McCafferty was not convinced, especially since the DOE created an “End DEI” portal on its website following the letter’s publication.

McCafferty stops short of issuing a national injunction, as the plaintiffs sought. Nor does she limit the injunction to New Hampshire as the government requested. Instead, McCafferty’s injunction applies to any school or entity that employs members of the NEA or the Center for Black Educator Development.

This isn’t McCafferty’s first high-profile ruling. Earlier this year, she sided with the City of Nashua in a lawsuit over its policy of banning flags from its “citizens’ flagpole” that city officials deemed inappropriate, including the Pine Tree flag that is part of New Hampshire’s Revolutionary history.

The University of New Hampshire may be facing tens of millions of dollars in cuts in state funding, but it’s still spending money on controversial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs and employees. Not only are DEI policies unpopular with Republicans in the New Hampshire House, but President Donald Trump has also signed an executive order seeking to end government support for them.

An appeals court upheld the Trump administration’s ability to execute the order while legal challenges work their way through the court.

On Tuesday, the House Finance Committee passed an amendment to the state budget banning government contracts with DEI mandates.

But if UNH is shying away from the race-based DEI policies in question, it isn’t showing. The school has made no announcements about shutting down any of its many DEI operations, and has previously indicated it does not see any changes coming.

“We believe diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are foundational values inextricably linked to achieving our core educational mission and embrace the many characteristics of our community members that make them uniquely themselves,” the school’s Diversity Statement reads on its DEI page.

When Trump started signing anti-DEI executive orders hours into his second term, UNH told NHJournal it had no plans to change its programs or courses.

“Nothing to report at the moment, but I can let you know if that changes,” UNH Executive Director of Media Relations Tania deLuzuriaga responded in January.

Since that initial inquiry, UNH has not scaled back any of its public DEI offerings. deLuzuriaga did not respond to NHJournal on Tuesday.

The school continues to offer a full slate of classes that examine race, like “Race, Ethnicity, Class & Classics,” “Gender, Race, and Class in the Media,” and “Gender, Race and Technology.”

UNH has a Civil Rights & Equity Office, an Office of Community, Equity and Diversity, and the Aulbani J. Beauregard Center for Equity, Justice and Freedom. There is also the Faculty and Staff of Color Affinity Group and the LGBTQIA+ Faculty and Staff Affinity Group.

It’s difficult to gauge how much UNH spends on all of its DEI initiatives, as they are spread throughout different sections of the school budget. Some costs are easier to find, like the $195,000 annual salary for Nadine Petty, UNH’s Chief Diversity Officer.

A review conducted by NHJournal last year estimated funding for the various DEI programs in New Hampshire’s higher education institutions at between $6 and $9 million. An estimated $2 million was UNH funding.

“Members have long been asking for a breakdown of DEI funding for the University Systems and have yet to receive an adequate answer. Hearing that UNH alone spends roughly $2 million on DEI, clearly intervention is required,” House Majority Leader Jason Osborne said at the time.

Before Trump, DEI initiatives made business sense for many colleges. UNH is facing a demographic crisis that is impacting all higher education institutions in New England. Small colleges throughout the region have been closing or merging as there are not enough students to go around. Without the students and the federal loans they get to pay tuition, many more schools will be forced to shut their doors.

But the DEI initiatives meant to bolster attendance could cost UNH serious money. Trump has threatened to pull federal funding from schools that continue offering DEI programs, and that could endanger student loan funding and the ability of the ever-decreasing pool of students to pay UNH’s tuition. 

UNH already went through painful budget cuts last year, slashing $14 million caused by declining enrollment and lower-than-anticipated tuition revenue. The university eliminated its journalism major, closed an art museum, and laid off 75 people in 2024 to address the shortfall.

But the DEI programs remained.

State Rep. Sam Farrington (R-Rochester) is a UNH student, and he says it’s time for the university to end its DEI policies.

“UNH has the potential to be an economic asset for the state in terms of job growth, but is unfortunately turning into a clown show,” Farrington told NHJournal.

“Why should the state continue to invest taxpayer resources when they are being dumped on exorbitant administrative salaries and foolish DEI agendas?”

New Hampshire’s largest teacher’s union supports so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) policies so much that it’s going to court to defend them.

The New Hampshire chapters of the National Educators Association and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court in Concord on Wednesday in response to the Trump administration’s DEI order.

The lawsuit claims the Trump administration is violating the Constitution by seeking to ban DEI practices and instruction. The complaint pinpoints the Feb. 14 letter that then-nominee for Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent to schools across the nation threatening a loss of funding if those institutions continue DEI programs as part of their educational offerings.

The letter defines DEI as programs that “teach students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens that others do not” and/or “stigmatize students who belong to racial groups.”

It’s part of the Trump administration’s attempt to end the practices promoted by President Joe Biden and his administration. Trump’s order instructs agencies to “terminate all discriminatory and illegal preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance, regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and requirements.”

The national NEA and ACLU are backing the New Hampshire lawsuit to block the Trump policy.

“Across the country, educators do everything in their power to support every student — no matter where they live, how much their family earns, or the color of their skin — ensuring each feels safe, seen, and prepared for the future. Now, the Trump administration is threatening to punish students, parents and educators in public schools for doing just that: fostering inclusive classrooms where diversity is valued, history is taught honestly, and every child can grow into their full brilliance,” said Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association. 

Gilles Bissonnette, legal director of the ACLU of New Hampshire, said in a statement Wednesday’s lawsuit is similar to one he successfully brought against New Hampshire’s Department of Education in the wake of the state passing its education anti-discrimination law. That law banned teaching that one group of people is inherently superior or inferior to another and that people are inherently racist, sexist, etc., based on the group they are in, among other concepts.

“Like New Hampshire’s classroom censorship law that we successfully challenged in court, this unconstitutionally vague letter is an attack on educators who are simply doing their job,” Bissonnette said. “Teachers are already reporting being afraid to teach for fear of having their teaching deemed unlawful, and that deprives Granite State students of the complete education that they deserve.”

The lawsuit claims McMahon and Trump have no legal authority to dictate what gets taught in New Hampshire classrooms. New Hampshire teachers frequently use DEI programming as they see fit, the lawsuit states.

“They have incorporated issues of race, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the content and approach to their teaching, in their broader educational practices, and in training and support for educators, all in accordance with sound pedagogical practice,” according to the lawsuit.

“We’re urging the court to block the Department of Education from enforcing this harmful and vague directive and protect students from politically motivated attacks that stifle speech and erase critical lessons. Teaching should be guided by what’s best for students, not by threat of illegal restrictions and punishment.”

President Donald Trump’s executive orders ending so-called Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) regulations at the federal level made big headlines this week. But in New Hampshire, they appear to be old news.

For example, newly-elected Gov. Kelly Ayotte has already taken down the webpage for the Governor’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion.

When asked by NHJournal how many state employees are DEI managers or diversity officers, New Hampshire Commissioner of Administrative Services Charlie Arlinghaus said the answer appears to be “none.”

The webpage for the Governor’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion was not available on Wednesday.

“The state does not employ diversity officers, DEI officers, or any similar type positions, nor am I aware of any position whose duties, regardless of title, are managed in such a way,” said Arlinghaus, whose agency is in charge of procurement for New Hampshire’s government.

“There is, in fact, not a position in the classification for such a thing. Nonetheless, the state and every agency does ensure that all of its policies and programs are implemented in all ways to avoid discrimination and bias as is befitting of those of us working on behalf of the people of the state,” Arlinghaus said.

There are around 5,000 federal employees in New Hampshire, not including military personnel, and their agencies are dealing with a large number of executive orders from Trump, some of which are sweeping in nature. Local federal offices are trying to sort out the details.

“It’s like trying to take a drink from a firehose,” one federal official told NHJournal.

Under Trump’s order, signed Tuesday, agencies had until 5 p.m. Wednesday to place all DEI staffers on paid leave and remove all DEI information from federal agency web pages. All DEI training sessions are to be canceled, as are all contracts with outside DEI consultants.

Federal employees were also instructed to report anyone suspected of still engaging in DEI work inside their agency. Employees were told they could face “adverse consequences” if they did not report suspected DEI colleagues. 

NHJournal asked newly-elected Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s office if there will be a move to push state government agencies to follow Trump’s lead. It declined to respond.

Trump’s actions only apply to federal agencies, not state and local. And while the Ayotte administration may not have any DEI officers, many local towns and school boards have hired DEI employees.

As of last April, for example, Oyster River School District in Durham and SAU 16 in Exeter were each paying six-figure salaries to at least one DEI staffer.

The city of Concord just approved a $40,000 contract with DEI consultant James Bird Guess as part of a $140,000 diversity spending initiative.

“He really is a Horacio Alger type of story,” Concord Mayor Byron Champlin said of Guess. “He’s a self-made man.”

Guess is the man behind the “Cash Cow Consultant” seminar which taught people how to get rich as an expert consultant without the need for specialized subject matter training, degrees, or qualifications. Now, Guess works for municipal government and businesses spreading the word on DEI.

“Now, don’t get me wrong, speaking with passion and helping people is a blessing. I love helping people, but that’s only a small part of the equation of making six to seven figures!” Guess wrote on the Cash Cow website. (Emphasis in original.)

The Cash Cow website, which was still up and running before the Concord city council vote, has been shut down.

Before he signed a $40,000 contract as a DEI consultant for the City of Concord, James Bird Guess was a motivational speaker who launched the Cash Cow Consultant seminar teaching people how to get rich quick by selling racial diversity.

“Yep, I bought into the ‘just speak your passion’ myth like so many others, maybe you did too. And I was still broke!” Guess posted on his “From Broke to Millionaire Consultant” web page.

“Then something remarkable happened. I made the critical transition to the next level and went from ‘speaker’ to ‘consultant’ and as a result, my income increased exponentially (ridiculously). I went from getting paid $3,500 for a speaking event to more than $100,000 for a change management executive program with just ONE client.

“Now don’t get me wrong, speaking with passion and helping people is a blessing. I love helping people, but that’s only a small part of the equation of making six to seven figures!” Guess wrote. (Emphasis in the original.)

James Bird Guess in a marketing photo from his ‘Cash Cow Consulting’ website.

Today Guess does business under the title president and CEO of Racial Equity Group.

“We design strategies that transform policies and practices to achieve Racial Equity and partner with public and private sector institutions to help them identify how their organizations may be perpetuating systemic inequity, and empower them with our Racial Equity Mindset framework to guide decision-making, promote equity and results based accountability,” according to the company’s mission statement.

Guess did not respond to a request for comment, but Concord Mayor Byron Champlin defended both the contract and Guess.

“He really is a Horatio Alger type of story,” Champlin told NHJournal. “He’s a self-made man.”

Champlin, chair of the city’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB) committee, said he and the other committee members did not know about Guess’ Cash Cow seminar experience until informed by NHJournal. He’s since talked to Guess about his “turn consulting into cash” days and has no qualms about going forward with the contract.

Champlin said the Cash Cow seminar was a one-time business that Bird operated five years ago. Guess hasn’t taught his “grind” secrets since.

“He’s never been able to, he’s so busy (being a DEI consultant) that he’s never run it again,” Champlin said.

However, the website is still up and running, and Guess continues to list himself as CEO and president of the James Bird Guess International Success Academy on LinkedIn.

At the academy’s website, people can buy copies of Guess’s books, including “The Grinders,” and “How I Made a Quarter Million Dollar$ From the Trunk of My Car!”

Concord gave the contract to Guess and his Racial Equity Group business after vetting four companies that submitted bids to lead DEIJB seminars for the city. Though Guess does not have any specialized degrees related to the field, Champlin said, his experience, team, and customers won over the committee.

“Out of the four applications, he and his team were the most qualified,” Champlin said. “He really was head and shoulders above other organizations.”

Guess and his Racial Equity Group boast contracts with cities and towns throughout Massachusetts, like Salem, Newton, and even the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Champlin said. Before the contract was signed, city staff put Guess and his business through a vetting and interview process, Champlin added.

Winning government contracts is one of the many secrets to becoming a consultant earning seven figures, Guess wrote on Cash Cow.

“I built a small team of subject matter experts and began winning federal contracts, which I call ‘slow money, but for sure money’..LOL,” Guess wrote.

Guess’s success story starts with him selling sporting goods from the trunk of his car, and going on to becoming a successful motivational speaker and then DEI consultant. Along the way, he’s learned the secrets to consulting, according to Cash Cow, and he can bust the myths:

“Myth 1) The consulting business is about being an expert consultant.
Nope. It’s about marketing! No matter what your area of expertise is, no matter how you good your ideas and content are, it does not matter unless you know how to position yourself to get a check. Unless you learn how to build a pipeline of profit, you’re going to go broke, starve, and find yourself going back to a 9 to 5 job!” Guess wrote.

“Myth 2) You need special degrees, certifications, and qualifications.

I thought so, too (glad I didn’t). I was about to spend $50,000 on a PhD in leadership, and I remember when I told the late great Zig Ziglar what I was about to do, he told me a powerful secret that I have never forgotten to gain instant credibility than any fancy degree or certification.”

The contract with Concord calls for Guess to develop diversity training for city staff, and to deliver that training to staff and Concord leadership, according to the request for bid quotes.

“Educate city leaders about their responsibilities to promote DEIJB and prepare them to hold courageous conversations across lines of difference and share best practice,” the document RFQ states.

The city council is set to vote Monday night on finalizing the funding for the contract. There’s already $40,000 set aside to pay for the contract, but the council is required to vote in order to withdraw the funding.

For state Rep. Keith Ammon (R-New Boston), Tuesday’s ruling striking down the state’s anti-discrimination in education law meant one thing.

“Judge Barbadoro just put stopping Critical Race Theory back on the ballot in November.”

New Hampshire Democrats, teachers unions, and the state chapter of the ACLU all celebrated United States District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro’s decision to declare the law unconstitutional. The Right to Freedom from Discrimination in Public Workplaces and Education law — often referred to by the judge and its critics as the “divisive concepts” law — was passed in 2021 in response to concerns about Critical Race Theory (CRT) content in classrooms. It barred any public employee from teaching or training others that race, sex, or other inherent characteristics made an individual racist, sexist, etc.

Democrats are delighted to see the law go.

“I am pleased that Judge Barbadoro recognized today what the Senate Democrats have said for years: the Republican’s ‘divisive concepts’ law is an unconstitutional infringement on the rights of Granite Staters,” said state Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy (D-Manchester).

And both Democrats running for governor confirmed Ammon’s prediction that the ruling would result in a partisan political battle.

Former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig promised to shut down any Republican who tries to revive the law.

“As governor, I’ll stop any bill that threatens teachers’ ability to teach and prevents students from receiving an honest education,” Craig said.

Her fellow Democratic candidate for governor, Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington, said the law “sought to undermine public education by subjecting educators to arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement and penalties. I am relieved to see the court’s ruling today declaring this law unconstitutional.”

And House Democratic Leader Rep. Matt Wilhelm (D-Manchester) linked the law to GOP-backed legislation for keeping boys out of girls’ bathrooms and off of girls-only sports teams.

“Make no mistake—the Republican Party will stop at nothing to infringe upon our children’s freedom with nonsensical culture wars like their “divisive concepts” ban, book bans, sports bans, and bathroom bans,” Wilhelm said.

But Republicans blasted the ruling. Sen. Tim Lang (R-Sanbornton) said it will allow teachers to promote racist CRT-inspired ideology in public classrooms.

“Seems odd the court thinks it’s OK to allow teachers to teach, based on your race, you are inherently a victim or a perpetrator of racism. Which is what the ‘divisive concepts’ law prohibited, no person is inherently racist based on race,” Lang said. 

Chuck Morse, who’s running in the GOP primary for governor, helped craft the legislation and get it to Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk. He said he will work to push through a law that passes constitutional muster if elected.

“We must equip our students with the tools to think critically and engage with each other respectfully, without the influence of biased and discriminatory teachings,” Morse said. “My administration will prioritize transparency, and adherence to constitutional principles to ensure that any new legislation will stand up to judicial scrutiny and serve the best interests of our students.”

Teachers union president Deb Howes with the New Hampshire American Federation of Teachers disagrees, saying Tuesday’s ruling should be the end of the lesson. 

“This decision should put to rest the issue, and New Hampshire teachers will no longer have to live under a cloud of fear of getting fired for actually teaching accurate, honest education.” Howes said. 

Ironically, the ruling may boost support for the Education Freedom Account program Howes and her Democratic allies oppose. Parents who discover they can’t prevent their children from being labeled “racist” or “privileged” by their local public school may turn to the EFA program to send their kids elsewhere.

Before the law passed, CRT-based content was being used in school districts like Manchester, Laconia, and Litchfield. However, there is no record of any teacher or administrator being subjected to enforcement under the law.

Manchester School District’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Director Christina Kim Philibotte and Andres Mejia, the former DEI director at SAU 16, said the ruling will let teachers get back to caring for “students of color, students from the LGBTQ+ community, and students with historically marginalized identities.”

“It is critically important that students see themselves in the books they read and in the classroom discussions they have to ensure that they feel cared for and valued,” Philibotte and Mejia said in a joint statement.

In North Carolina, the state is transferring $2.3 million of spending at its flagship state university from its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program to public safety and policing.

In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a law closing all DEI offices at state-funded colleges and universities.

The state of Florida, often viewed as a rival by New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R-N.H.), eliminated all positions associated with DEI in its state college system last month.

And yet the Granite State continues to spend millions on DEI employees and programs in the University of New Hampshire system, which includes UNH, the Franklin Pierce School of Law, Plymouth State University, and Keene State College.

Why?

“That’s a good question,” said state Sen. Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry), currently the frontrunner to take over the top spot in the Senate if the GOP holds its majority in November. (Senate President Jeb Bradley is retiring.)

The premise of DEI policies is that American institutions like universities are inherently racist or bigoted toward racial, sexual, and cultural minorities. Therefore, judging individuals based on merit is a mistake and should be rejected. Instead, hiring decisions should be based on identity politics in pursuit of collective justice.

“The University of Central Florida, in its ‘Inclusive Faculty Hiring’ guide, described merit in faculty hiring as a ‘narrative myth’ and advised employees to avoid using it in job descriptions and hiring materials,” DEI critic Chris Rufo wrote in The New York Times. “The guide also advocated explicit quotas of ‘minoritized’ groups in its hiring practices.”

Funding for the various DEI programs in New Hampshire’s higher education institutions is estimated at between $6 and $9 million, though that spending is scattered throughout various budget line items, making it hard to track. House Majority Leader Rep. Jason Osborne (R-Auburn) said the lack of transparency surrounding DEI is a problem.

“Members have long been asking for a breakdown of DEI funding for the University Systems and have yet to receive an adequate answer. Hearing that UNH alone spends roughly $2 million on DEI, clearly intervention is required. We look forward to addressing this in the state budget next year,” Osborne said.

And the timing may be fortuitous.

Washington State University Provost and Executive Vice President Elizabeth Chilton will take over the reins at UNH this summer, following the retirement of current President James Dean. Sen. Dan Innis (R-Bradford), who teaches at UNH, said this is the perfect time to reexamine the system’s DEI programming and funding.

Chilton, who spent 16 years at UMass Amherst, was a featured speaker at the 2021 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Summit at Washington State University, where she touted her work on DEIJ.

“One of the large ways that I have leaned in, in the past 15 months, is through the initiation of our faculty cluster hire in racism and social inequality [specializations] in the Americas,” Chilton said.

“Given the profile of the new UNH president, I think it is highly likely that we in the Senate will take action next year, perhaps as a part of the budget,” Innis said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been an outspoken critic of taxpayer-funded DEI programs, and he helped usher through the higher education reforms that ended them.

“DEI is toxic and has no place in our public universities,” DeSantis said last month. “I’m glad that Florida was the first state to eliminate DEI, and I hope more states follow suit.”

But Sununu, who often touts the Granite State’s edge over Florida on issues of fiscal responsibility and personal freedom, is much more sanguine about DEI spending in his state’s budget.

Asked about the actions of North Carolina and Florida and whether New Hampshire should do the same, Sununu told NHJournal, “Obviously, any program — DEI included — would be looked at to say, ‘Okay, do we need to be funding this? Are the dollars appropriate? What are we getting for the return?’ We haven’t had any of those issues here in the state. None of that has been brought to my attention.

“If there was a concern, I would definitely look at it. But nothing has been brought to our attention. I’m simply saying those programs seem to be on a decent path, I suppose,” Sununu said.

However, several UNH trustees who spoke to NHJournal — on and off the record — said it was time to review DEI policies and spending, particularly as the college system is cutting staff and closing programs. On background, some trustees expressed concern that there is no scrutiny of DEI spending or its results.

New Hampshire Agriculture Commissioner and University System of New Hampshire trustee Shawn Jasper, however, willingly voiced the concern shared by many that the DEI programs operating at the state schools are ill-defined, with vague goals that can’t be measured in a meaningful way.

“There are several trustees concerned about what the goal is and how we measure the success of the program,” Jasper said.

According to Jasper, the DEI programs at UNH are less about addressing deep-seated societal problems and more about a marketing strategy. Nearly 60 percent of UNH students now come from outside New Hampshire, paying higher tuition rates than in-state students. DEI is part of the package advertised to the out-of-state student population, he said.

“I don’t have a problem funding those things if there’s an articulated problem that needs to be addressed. That doesn’t seem to be the case, it seems like they have to have it to compete with the out-of-state student market,” Jasper said.

If UNH is going to keep its DEI program, Jasper wants to see it deployed in such a way that it can be quantified.

“If we’re going to have programs like this at our universities — and I’m not saying they are not needed — we need to be very clear what we are trying to solve and I’m not sure, in New Hampshire, that’s been articulated,” Jasper said.

After months of concerns from district parents about his connection to anti-Israel protests, Andres Mejia, the head of SAU 16’s Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Justice (DEIJ) Department, is resigning.

The news comes just days after an NHJournal report highlighting the six-figure salaries some DEI directors are receiving from public schools in the state.

However, the district says there is nothing to read into Mejia leaving his post this month, well before the end of the school year.

Mejia did not respond to a request for comment. But SAU 16 Superintendent Esther Asbell said he simply needed to start his new job.

“Andres was asked by his new employer to be available as soon as possible,” Asbell said.

His departure was first reported by Granite Grok.

Mejia, reportedly earning a $153,380 salary, has been a controversial figure since first being hired. He serves in the leadership of the Black Lives Matter Seacoast chapter, which has been helping organize anti-Israel protests for months.

Like many similar protests that claim to be pro-Palestinian, the group started agitating against Israel immediately after Hamas terrorists murdered 1,300 Israelis on Oct. 7. Chants of “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free,” viewed by the Anti-Defamation League as a call for genocide, feature heavily at those demonstrations.

When at least one parent complained to Asbell about Mejia’s role in BLM during the anti-Israel protests, asking how he could defend students against bigotry when BLM was engaging in antisemitic rhetoric, Asbell defended Mejia.

“Upon review of (district policy) I do not believe our DEI-J director is in violation of the policy by holding a position as Vice Chair of Seacoast BLM,” Asbell wrote earlier this year.

It’s not the first time Mejia’s BLM association raised concern in the school community. Challenged by parents during a public meeting in 2021, Mejia refused to distance himself from the group.

“I am Black, and I can never separate myself from Black Lives Matter,” Mejia said. “My life matters.”

Since then, BLM Seacoast has publicly opposed having police officers in public schools, giving qualified immunity protection for police, and it supports having government monitoring of the personal social media accounts of police officers.

Though he’s not a classroom teacher, Mejia is also one of the lead plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit over the so-called “divisive concepts” law. The pending lawsuit was filed soon after the legislature passed an anti-discrimination law that banned teachers from “teaching that any one group is inherently inferior, superior, racist or oppressive.” The words “divisive concepts” appear nowhere in the actual statute, though the term is often used by progressives opposed to the law.

Ironically, Mejia is one of a handful of other DEI professionals whose role is to dictate what teachers are allowed to teach.

Asbell said SAU 16 is ready to hire another DEIJ director.

Rachael Blansett was hired in 2022 by the Oyster River School District in Durham, N.H., for a salary somewhere between $95,000 and $105,000.

Andres Mejia at SAU 16 in Exeter is getting paid a salary of more than $100,000.

But neither of them are educating students or maintaining schools. Instead, they’re both paid to make sure the teachers and staff are advancing the race-based cause of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in their local classrooms.

For the 2021-2022 school year, the New Hampshire Department of Education reported the average public school teacher salary was $62,695.

Driven by school committees and superintendents committed to the so-called “DEI movement,” some New Hampshire public schools are hiring professional DEI directors, some with little real classroom experience, to lecture teachers, staff, and students about equity.

Interestingly, they are frequently paid significantly more than most teachers.

DEI programs, sometimes known as DEIJ for those who include “Justice” in the acronym, became fashionable following the nationwide protests over George Floyd’s 2020 murder by police in Minneapolis. They are common on college campuses. The University of New Hampshire has its own DEI division with at least nine full-time positions and a seven-figure budget.

Blansett, who never worked as a regular classroom teacher before getting the Oyster River job, is responsible for “work(ing) with teachers, administrators, and students to integrate DEIJ throughout the district. (Blansett) will lead trainings for teachers, revise curriculums so they align with district values of equity and inclusion, and act as a resource for anyone in the Oyster River community to ask questions about DEIJ taught in a classroom,” according to the district.

When Blansett isn’t advocating for race and gender-based education in Durham schools, she’s providing “racial equity education” for the New Hampshire chapter of Black Lives Matter.

According to its website, “Black Lives Matter New Hampshire strives to bring education to the community by providing training on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within organizations, schools, and other local groups.” According to the biography linked to the page, Blansett’s “academic interests” include “challenging anti-Blackness and colonization ideology and theorizing/implementing accessible and liberatory practices.”

Rachael Blansett

And even before she came to New Hampshire, Blansett was speaking out for what she sees as racial justice. During a school board meeting in 2022, first reported by Granite Grok, it was revealed she recorded podcasts and posted comments on social media featuring messages like, “White people are not OK,” and “White people don’t wash their legs, and can’t dance.”

Blansett also raised eyebrows when photographed wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “Pro Black, Pro Queer and Pro Hoe.”

When hired, she explained the controversial podcast was a collaboration with a friend and pledged to discontinue the project. She also claimed her comments about White people were not made with racist intentions.

At SAU 16 in Exeter, Mejia also has little classroom experience. Mejia did work as a Teach for America teacher for several months before becoming DEI director. And like Blansett, Mejia is directly involved with Black Lives Matter, serving as vice chair of the state chapter.

Confronted about his membership in an organization that has advocated race-based public policies, called for the defunding of the police, and has been rocked by financial scandals, Mejia said he would not quit BLM.

“I am Black, and I can never separate myself from Black Lives Matter,” he told concerned parents in 2021. “My life matters.”

SAU 16’s DEI statement makes clear part of Mejia’s job is to help students understand their personal role in upholding systemic racism and bigotry.

“Part of our educational mission is to awaken our students’ awareness of their power and privilege so that they may view the world through a lens of equity and help eliminate unjust systems and practices,” the district statement.

Peggy Massicotte, an SAU 16 parent, says the baked-in bigotry animating the district’s DEI program and Mejia’s BLM leadership shows the whole position ought to be scrapped.

“We have to look at the way we’re teaching this to kids,” Massicotte told NHJournal.

Massicotte also mentioned BLM’s role in recent pro-Palestinian protests in which antisemitic and genocidal slogans are chanted, like “There is only one solution/intifada revolution.”

“He’s the [BLM] vice chairman,” Massicotte noted.

Mejia and Blansett are both NH Listen Fellows at the University for New Hampshire’s Carsey School of Public Policy, as is Tina Phillbotte, the Manchester School District’s DEI Director, who is paid close to $120,000 a year.

UNH recently underwent a punishing round of layoffs and cuts to save $14 million in the budget. While the university’s art museum and journalism program, which has produced Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters, were affected, there appear to be no cuts to the university’s DEI programs. UNH pays at least $1 million a year in salaries for the DEI program staffers.

Closing the art museum saves UNH about $1 million.