jilipark Smithsonian Closes Diversity Office After Trump’s Executive Order

The Smithsonian Institution informed employees on Tuesday that it would close its diversity officejilipark, freeze hiring for all federal positions and require workers to return to in-person work in order to comply with recent orders from President Trump.

The announcement came after President Trump signed an executive order this month describing the Biden administration’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as “illegal and immoral discrimination programs.” The order has led museums that receive significant government support to abruptly shift their policies to try to comply with the new rules from the White House.

Last week the National Gallery of Art in Washington, which recently mounted a rebranding campaign that focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, announced that it was closing its office of belonging and inclusion.

No one was injured in the escape, which happened about 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. Firefighters for the city of North Attleboro who were working at a rodeo at the Emerald Square Mall said they had seen eight bulls break loose from their pen, the fire chief said in a previous statement.

Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder,PHMoba the Pentagon press secretary, declined to say exactly how many troops were deploying, citing operational security.

Now a similar effort is underway at the Smithsonian, one of the largest cultural institutions in the United States. The organization includes 21 museums across the country and receives nearly two-thirds of its $1 billion budget from the federal government.

A museum official said that while the museum was closing its Office of Diversity, it would be retaining its “efforts at visitor accessibility as it serves a critical function.”

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III said that the diversity office’s closure would be a “first step” to address the new federal policy, according to an email obtained by The Washington Post, which first reported the changes.

The Smithsonian is a hybrid institution that includes both private and federal employees. The organization’s hiring page currently includes about 40 jobs that executives were looking to fill at different museums around the countryjilipark, including a conservator position at the National Air and Space Museum and a supervisory veterinary medical officer at the National Zoological Park.