West Point Orders All Minority Cadet Clubs Disbanded Immediately in DEI Crackdown: Report

The U.S. Military Academy West Point ordered all minority cadet clubs to be disbanded immediately as crackdowns on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs set in across the country, according to a report.

All West Point clubs sanctioned by the academy's Directorate of Cadet Activities that highlight different cultures or marginalized groups were ordered to be "disbanded," while other clubs were ordered to "cease all activities" until their status could be reviewed, according to a memo shared to social media.

"This directive cancels all trip sections, meetings, events and other activities associated with these clubs. Moreover these clubs are not authorized to continue informal activities using Government time, resources or facilities," the memo stated, which has been authenticated by the Washington Post.

Among the disbanded clubs included many diverse groups, including the Asian-Pacific Forum Club, Japanese Forum Club, Latin Cultural Club, National Society of Black Engineers Club and Native American Heritage Forum.

Clubs that also centered around gender and the empowerment of women, including the Corbin Forum and Society of Women Engineers Club, were dissolved.

The named clubs were ordered to "unpublish, deactivate, archive and otherwise remove all public facing content," which appears to have gone into effect as attempts by the Latin Times to view the clubs' information on West Point's website were met with an error message.

Orders to disband clubs with diverse initiatives comes as President Donald Trump signed an executive order rolling back DEI programs, calling the decision a return to "merit-based" opportunity" and an end to "illegal discrimination."

On Friday, dozens of Education Department employees in DEI-related roles were placed on paid leave. Madi Biedermann, an Education Department spokesperson, said the agency is "evaluating staffing in line with the commitment to prioritizing meaningful learning ahead of divisive ideology in schools and putting student outcomes above special interests," in a memo to CNN.

The Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency also announced that it would be ending all celebrations and activities related to heritage-related holidays or honorary events, such as Black History Month, Women's History Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance and National Hispanic Heritage Month.