Surprise, surprise: Betsy DeVos will not commit to protecting LGBTQ students from discrimination

Federal discrimination laws: who needs 'em, amirite?

In a hearing in front of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services today, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos seemed to argue exactly that. The Secretary repeatedly gave a non-answer about whether federal dollars would be used to fund schools that discriminate against LGBTQ students -- though she did say something useless about being personally against discrimination.

Fantastic.

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) pressed the Secretary to come clean about whether federal discrimination laws would apply to private schools that discriminate against LGBTQ students.

Currently, the Trump administration is threatening to cuts billions of dollars from public education and redirect that money towards school choice programs. Students could potentially use federal dollars at schools that discriminate against LGBTQ students -- even though Title IX is supposed to protect students against discrimination on the basis of sex.

Merkley pushed the Senator to be forthright about the Department's new policies and approach.

"Senator, I've said it before and I'll say it again: that schools that receive federal funds must follow federal law," DeVos said in response to Merkley's questioning.

"I've just said that the law is foggy. So in your understanding in federal law will such discrimination be allowed?" Merkley said.

"On area where federal laws is unsettled, this department is not going to be issuing decrees, that is a matter for a Congress and the Courts to be settled," DeVos said.

“I think you just said where it’s unsettled, such discrimination will continue to be allowed under your program. If that’s incorrect, please correct it for the record,” Merkley said.

What followed was about five minutes of painful non-answers.

To be fair, DeVos did come out as decidedly anti-discrimination personally.

“I don’t support discrimination in any form,” DeVos added.

But just because she's opposed to discrimination personally, doesn't mean she's about to impose her radical worldview on schools and, you know, make a difference for the students who actually need it.