President Donald Trump has received widespread criticism after implementing changes on his first day back in office.  

One of the changes includes a ban on transgender women participating in women’s sports and the reinstatement of a 2017 military policy restricting transgender men from sleeping in women’s troop facilities.  

These policies were initiated on Jan. 20, the day of Trump’s inauguration. 

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, which were designed to promote equal work opportunities regardless of ethnicity, race, sex or disability, have also been affected.  

The executive order issued by Trump invalidates previous orders that promoted diversity and inclusion. 

Since order issuance, many companies have scaled back on their DEI training, policies and programs. 

According to The Guardian, Trump justified the ban by expressing concerns that such initiatives have contributed to what he described as “anti-white” sentiment in the United States.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and Senior Advisor to Trump, has shared similar views on social media.  

With these changes, some schools across the U.S. have vocalized their disagreement, citing potential implications for students and communities. 

According to The New York Times, North Carolina’s public universities have already removed diversity and equality courses previously required to graduate.  

Some have gone as far as to take this initiative to court, arguing its legality as it discriminates against minorities and individuals based on sex and race. The Department of Education has issued its own stance on the matter.  

According to National Review, Craig Trainor, the department’s Civil Rights acting assistant secretary, wrote in a letter, “The Department will no longer tolerate the overt and covert racial discrimination that has become widespread in this Nation’s educational institutions. The law is clear: treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal under controlling Supreme Court precedent.”  

Currently, public opinion remains divided over changes in DEI policies.  

While some critics argue these initiatives are unnecessary and discriminatory, supporters highlight their role in providing equal opportunities for employment and education regardless of race or gender.