In Virginia, some school districts are reportedly employing artificial intelligence to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in classrooms. This was detailed in a report by Defending Education.
Albemarle County Public Schools communicated via email that subcommittees should utilize the “GenAI Equity Prompt Sheet” to apply these “equity-centered” policies.
“It’s concerning that school districts are looking at AI through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” an anonymous source noted.
According to an email from Ayanna Mitchell dated May 21, 2025, the initiative is designed to explore issues like access, bias, and stakeholder involvement in a user-friendly manner. The plan aims to implement practices around cultural sensitivity, gender inclusivity, and identity affirmation, using AI tools for both teachers and students.
Ryen Staley, research director at Defending Education, expressed that while schools should carefully consider integrating AI, the scrutiny of AI based on compliance with DEI standards raises red flags for parents. He added, “Restricting AI to sources showing only a left-leaning political bias sets a harmful precedent for education.”
Albemarle School District is located in Charlottesville, home to Monticello, which was designed by Thomas Jefferson.
The report’s findings were disclosed by Federalist.
Jason Grant, the Chief Communications Officer for ACPS, did not address concerns that AI systems might discriminate against specific groups, as reported by Federalist.
This revelation is striking, especially since the district had previously denied that its policies conflicted with President Trump’s directives against discriminatory programs.
Helen Dunn, a communications officer, stated in an April 2025 document, “These documents don’t change any existing practices at Albemarle County Public Schools. We are compliant with Title VI laws.”
As of Monday afternoon, the website for the ACPS Office of Equity Education was active, but the latest update was a year old, with Mitchell still listed as director.
The ACPS has not replied to requests for comments regarding this issue.
Trump has made it a priority to eliminate government-mandated DEI policies. In early 2025, he issued a presidential order to dismantle DEI policies linked to the Biden administration and terminated employees focused on enforcing them.
The Education Department noted that these review efforts would persist as they work to eliminate race-based discrimination and harmful stereotypes throughout the education system.
