Dozens of Education Department employees who attended a diversity training course that was encouraged during President Donald Trump's first time in office have been placed on leave, NBC News reports.

As of Friday (January 31), at least 55 employees were put on leave amid Trump's efforts to eliminate DEI, Sheria Smith, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, which represents hundreds of Education Department staffers, said.

“It looks like they’re entrapping people, because they encouraged people to take these trainings ... and are now maybe using these trainings as a basis to put them on administrative leave,” Smith said.

More employees are expected to be put on leave after hundreds attended two-day voluntary “Diversity Change Agent" training encouraged by Trump's administration in March 2019.

“We have 25 seats available for this course. The Department’s strategic and comprehensive approach to equipping staff with skills in leading a diverse workforce includes the Diversity Change Agent Program. Graduates of this course are expected to serve as role models, spending some of their official duty time performing activities designed to improve the Education Department’s capacity to attract and retain a diverse workforce. This effort is essential to sustaining a clear and effective Department-wide program," an email to Education Department staffers read at the time.

"Thank you for helping us move toward achieving the goal of 400 Diversity Change Agents ED-wide. Your positive actions are the catalyst on our journey to achieving ED’s diversity and inclusion objectives.”

Subodh Chandra, a civil rights lawyer representing an employee who was put on paid leave, said his client was appointed to an employment, engagement, and diversity and inclusion council formed during Trump’s first presidency. The staffer is confused as to why they were put on leave because he is no longer a member of the "inactive committee."

“My client, a veteran, did nothing to violate any executive order. Nor did any of his similarly situated colleagues. He doesn’t even run a ‘DEIA’ project. He was only a member of an inactive committee on which he was appointed by Trump’s own political appointees from the first term," Chandra said.

Similarly, dozens of workers at the Department of Education who don't specifically work in DEI roles but took the diversity training have been put on leave.

An Education Department spokesperson said the move was "evaluation staffing in line with the commitment to prioritizing meaningful learning ahead of divisive ideology in schools and putting student outcomes above special interests.”

“President Trump was elected to bring about unprecedented reform to the federal civil service to ensure it is merit-based and efficient at serving the interests of the American people," Madi Biedermann, the deputy assistant secretary for communications, said in a statement.

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