Navigating Anti-DEI Federal Pressures: A Critical Race Theory Case Study In Higher Education

Background: Recent federal actions targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have placed higher education institutions under significant legal and political pressure. Institutions must balance compliance with federal guidance while maintaining commitments to equity, academic freedom, and accreditation requirements. This case study focuses on a private Hispanic-serving institution that faced internal complaints and uncertainty about curricular language and DEI hiring practices. A Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework was used to examine institutional responses and the racialized dynamics underlying policy shifts.
Methods: A case study was used, drawing on institutional documents, accreditation standards, and reflective practitioner analysis. CRT served as the theoretical lens, focusing on the tenets of permanence of racism, whiteness as property, and interest convergence to interpret institutional actions and stakeholder responses.
Results: Findings revealed tensions between institutional mission and risk mitigation strategies, including audits of curricular language, modification of public-facing materials, and dismantling or restructuring DEI-related initiatives. CRT analysis demonstrated how federal policies reinforced racial hierarchies, how curricular knowledge became contested “property,” and how institutional commitments to equity shifted when interests diverged from dominant political priorities.
Conclusions: Recommendations include explicit acknowledgment of systemic racism, amplifying counter-narratives from marginalized stakeholders, and building coalitions with minority-serving institutions to sustain equity-centered curriculum and policy practices. These findings offer implications for institutional leaders navigating politicized regulatory environments.