Dupage Policy Journal

Terry Newsome, GOP Precinct Committeeman for District 141 and co-host of the Behind Enemy Lines podcast, is celebrating the federal ban on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) while advocating for its immediate implementation in Community High School District 99 and other local schools.

Newsome, who began his public life as a parent activist and now serves as the Illinois President of Parents Involved in Education, argued that the influence of radical ideologies like DEI has negatively impacted local education by promoting divisive and harmful lessons to students.

"We're somewhat vindicated because of what Donald Trump is doing," Newsome told the DuPage Policy Journal. 

On his first day back as president, Trump signed an executive order ending federal DEI programs, calling it a move to eliminate "radical and wasteful" government initiatives. 

The order, which came on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, aimed to ensure that all Americans are treated based on their character, not their race or other characteristics. 

It also targeted DEI programs related to race, disability and environmental justice, demanding the dismantling of such bureaucracies within federal agencies. 

The administration noted that it would assess the cost to taxpayers and ensure transparency while protecting free speech and religious freedoms regarding DEI policies.

"For the last four years, we were demonized because they had a radical leftist who was insisting that anybody who was against porn and the crazy indoctrination, the sexualization of our children was a bad person, was a bigot,” Newsome said. “Well, I guess now the shoe’s on the other foot."

Newsome referred back to a controversial minority-only field trip at Downers Grove South High School which excluded white students.

"They were forced to shut it down," he said. "They were basically using Downers Grove High School racism to teach racism of the past." 

Newsome compared the segregation efforts under DEI policies to the segregated Jim Crow South. 

“What the f***?” he said. “That sounds like Alabama in the 50s.” 

Newsome said that assessment should be based on merit and capability, not race or sex. 

"Nobody wants to exclude people because of race or sex, but they should be rewarded based on competence, not some agenda trying to apply racism from the past," he said.

Newsome voiced support for a merit-based system. 

"I think he’s bringing it back to being merit-based, as it should be,” he said. “Nobody should discriminate against anyone. You know, it’s 2025 now."

Trump also signed an executive order on Jan. 29 aimed at defunding K-12 schools promoting Critical Race Theory (CRT) and gender ideology. 

The order targets federal funding for institutions teaching these ideologies, asserting that such practices undermine critical thinking, sow division, and erode family unity. 

Trump argued that schools teaching CRT and transgenderism force students to adopt harmful identities and perspectives, often without parental consent. 

The order also directs government agencies to develop a strategy to eliminate these practices and ensure compliance with federal laws protecting parental rights and prohibiting discrimination.

In a series of recent emails shared with the Dupage Policy Journal, Newsome warned District 99 Superintendent Dr. Hank Thiele that DEI should come to an immediate end at Downers Grove North and South High Schools.

“I will be closely monitoring both you and District 99 to ensure compliance,” he said in an email to Thiele. “This notice demands the removal of all DEI and related indoctrination materials from District 99. I assure you that I, along with other parents and the AwakeIL organization, will be vigilant in ensuring that this requirement is honored.”

Newsome focused on animated porn marketed to children that had been placed in libraries at D99 schools, the topic which saw him get involved in civic involvement, specifically referencing the book Gender Queer, a graphic novel featuring graphic scenes.  

“The country is fed up with leftist teachers, unions, and administrations grooming children without tax dollars,” he wrote. 

The letter also criticized District 99's receipt of federal funding, which amounts to over $4 million, and called for a focus on children's education rather than political ideologies. 

“Hopefully, you and the D99 board will prioritize the children’s education over your radical ideology of indoctrination and sexualizing our children,” he said. 

Newsome drew a comparison between President Trump and Governor JB Pritzker, highlighting Trump's threat to withhold tax dollars from schools that promote inappropriate content.

“I can’t wait to see which direction the board chooses,” he wrote. “Hopefully, it’s education over pornography.”