The Department of Justice (DOJ) has allocated over $100 million in grants during the Biden administration to support restorative justice initiatives and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, according to findings from a conservative watchdog group. Parents Defending Education (PDE) published a report revealing that between 2021 and 2024, this funding has been distributed across 36 states and 946 K-12 school districts, impacting over three million students. The funds are earmarked for programs promoting restorative justice, social-emotional learning (SEL), and DEI in classrooms. Many of these projects aim to enhance the school environment for specific demographic groups, such as LGBTQ+ and BIPOC students.

The DOJ's STOP School Violence Program provides grants to non-profits, school districts, and local/state governments to bolster school safety by improving school climate. However, PDE contends that the DOJ's true objective is to replace traditional disciplinary actions with restorative practices and SEL. While SEL is promoted as a means of fostering students' social skills, mental health, and emotional well-being, it has faced criticism for potentially introducing controversial subjects like Critical Race Theory and Gender Theory into the classroom. This has ignited debate among parents, educators, and policymakers regarding the appropriate scope of classroom discussions and parental rights.

PDE contrasts traditional disciplinary measures, which remove disruptive students from the classroom, with restorative practices, which often involve facilitated discussions between the involved parties to address the conflict and "repair harm." This process, PDE argues, can disrupt learning for a greater number of students.

The report categorizes the grants into four areas: general, DEI, consulting/certification, and hiring. PDE's analysis indicates that some DOJ-hired consultants aim to "educate students or staff on [a] changing school climate" and introduce concepts like critical race theory, critical gender theory, and queer theory. Over $10 million has been designated for hiring administrators for DEI-focused roles such as "restorative justice facilitators." Organizations involved in training students and staff on these topics include CASEL, the International Institute for Restorative Practices, Second Step, and Courageous Conversations About Race.

Nicole Neily, president and founder of PDE, expressed concern to Fox News Digital, stating that the Biden administration appears to be using a school safety program to fund ideologically driven initiatives. She questioned whether "school climate" is genuinely improved by racially segregated programming or hiring based on race, suggesting that such practices might exacerbate tensions among students.

The report highlights specific grant examples, including $2 million to the Minnesota Department of Education to foster anti-racism and anti-oppression practices, $1.85 million to Bowling Green State University for student mental health curriculum development involving activities like mindfulness and knitting, and $1.78 million to Penn State University to address cyberbullying with an equity focus. Neily criticized the inclusion of activities like knitting circles in a program intended to prevent violence. Other examples include grants to Temple University and the School District of Philadelphia for programs addressing trauma and social media's impact on conflict, a grant to Reach Out West End in California for LGBTQIA+ related content, and funding to Ocean County, New Jersey, to reduce teasing and violence. Nearly $1 million was awarded to Milwaukee Public Schools to promote racial equity through seminars and focus groups. Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment.