How Boulder County is Coping with DEI Rollbacks

“This is going to be a fight that is long and tiring.” 

That’s how recent college graduate Ella Smith describes the political terrain after President Trump’s spate of executive orders. With the Oath of Office still hanging in the air he signed a series of executive orders that targeted his long-standing grievances. Three went straight for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, rolling back gains at every level: government, education, and business. The fallout was immediate. Agencies and institutions scrambled to balance compliance with the needs of their communities. Boulder County was no exception. 

Soon after the orders were signed, the Department of Education issued what became known as the “Dear Colleague” letter. The message was blunt: schools that refused to dismantle DEI programs risked losing federal funding. Some universities responded by rebranding rather than shutting down their DEI offices and programs. At CU Boulder, the DEI office was renamed the Office of Leadership Support and Programming. Colorado State University followed suit but their action sparked protests and sit-ins by student groups.

Smith said “When the Dear Colleague letters came out in February, people were looking at DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) more generally and now it’s more specific. I haven’t heard anyone say they were worried about them taking away DEIA, instead it’s that they are worried about them taking away this specific program or these specific things that are helping me.” 

For her, the shift has been from broad ideals to targeted survival. “It’s become intersectional advocacy,” she said. To illustrate this she cited concerns around how the loss of DEIA programs will impact “immigrants and international students.” 

It wasn’t just the academic world that was trying to find their footing under this new dynamic. Companies across the region have been adjusting their DEI policies as well. Molson Coors scrapped its DEI programs months before Trump even took office, anticipating the direction of the political winds. Others in Boulder County held firm. “At our store, we haven’t experienced any resistance to, or push to change, the behaviors we’ve always practiced, namely hiring employees based on their qualifications,” said Heidi Quince, co-owner of Simply Bulk Market in Longmont

Quince said that reaction, or lack of one, from customers is unsurprising. “We feel fortunate to live and work in a community that truly supports diversity, equity, and inclusion, in all its forms.” According to Quince, other small companies still dedicated to DEI are receiving similar support.

However, not everyone has had the luxury of ignoring Washington. At Boulder Valley School District, which operates under the motto “Excellence through equity,” administrators faced pressure without clear guidance. “The executive orders have been broad statements,” said Chief Communications Officer Randy Barber. State Commissioner Susana Cordova ultimately rejected the federal mandate, insisting Colorado schools were already in compliance.

While the school administration wrestled with next steps, parents and students went forward with the new year. “We haven’t really gotten any feedback from citizens regarding the proclamations from Washington yet,” Barber said. “Folks don’t become vocal until they hear or see changes and understand the impact they’ll have on them and their children.”

Municipalities are also navigating the tension. Erie’s town charter, approved in 2023, explicitly commits to “democracy, equity, and justice.” Communications Director Gabi Rae said that pledge still guides policy, even as federal pressure mounts. However, the real threat of losing federal funding has pushed the town to “remove specific reference to diversity, equity, and inclusion.” At the same time, Rae points out that Erie has and will continue to support events like Erie Pride and maintain an Internal Equity Ambassadors program. 

In the midst of this storm, advocacy groups have stepped up to provide the affected communities an anchor.

At Rocky Mountain Equality, Chief Operating Officer Dr. Bruce Parker said “the impacts of these decisions are so profound and will have long-lasting effects. Right now, people are just pivoting to the new way and as we do, we have seen a need for an increase in advocacy.” The organization has expanded support groups, including arts programming. “Art helps us thrive, to exist,” Parker said.

“All of this ties back to a culture of fear,” Parker said. “The wording of each of those orders was written to stoke fear.”

Quince put it more bluntly: “Our customers are […] on the whole disturbed about the fear that’s spread across the country.”

As for what comes next, no one, not even Trump, can say with any certainty, but there’s a sense residents of the area will be ready. “I’ve done work like this in four states and the commitment to privacy in Colorado is pretty deep,” Parker said. “I have seen a genuine sense of caring in the community. People are nice to their neighbors, people want to like their neighbors.”

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