As the nation shifts away from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programming, Lakeside continues searching for a permanent Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

The reelection of Donald Trump marked a new era for DEI initiatives nationwide, with the issuance of Executive Orders targeting alleged “illegal discrimination” and “radical and wasteful” hiring practices. 

Facing mounting pressure from the Department of Education, higher education institutions like Case Western Reserve and the University of Virginia, among many others, have shuttered DEI offices and eliminated DEI programs.

Additionally, corporations such as Disney, Google, and Target have all shifted focus away from diversity in hiring. 

This move away from DEI has not eluded the broader Lakeside community.

Earlier this year, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), of which Lakeside is a member, announced that it would pause both the People of Color Conference (POCC) and the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). 

This decision was made amid criticism of conference keynote speakers and a “rapidly evolving political and legal landscape.” While Lakeside did not send a student delegation to SDLC last year — it was not selected in the lottery to attend the 2024 conference — it has routinely sent students to the conference and sent staff to POCC in the past.

Despite measures taken nationwide, Recruitment and Hiring Manager Chiantee Rosete asserts, “Nothing has been pulled back in our practice here at Lakeside.” 

Instead, Rosete, who joined Lakeside in 2023 after working in corporate recruiting, has plans to expand equity and inclusion in hiring, whether through ensuring all candidates have an equal experience “to mitigate biases that can come from a process that lacks guardrails and structure,” or deliberate outreach to minority applicants.

To that end, Lakeside has participated in the Annual Diversity Employment Day Career Fair at the Seattle Center and the University of Washington’s National Society of Black Engineers’ Annual Diversity Career Fair in the past. According to Rosete, Lakeside plans to continue this, hosting the Northwest People of Color in Independent Schools’ Diversity Career Fair on campus in 2026.

While the administration reiterates that DEI is a significant priority, students in the Tatler poll have mixed opinions.

When asked how much they thought Lakeside should prioritize DEI on a scale of 1-5, one incoming freshman responded with a rating of 3, explaining that Lakeside “is very diverse already… There is no need to make certain groups feel more included just because they are a minority,” while a sophomore disagreed, writing that DEI “helps create a more diverse and culturally interesting student body.”

A recurring theme among students’ responses was that while Lakeside tries, their efforts in DEI “sometimes feel like a facade for the parents to see, but the students don’t really get that much from it,” as one sophomore writes. 

Though it remains to be seen what Interim Director of Equity and Inclusion Paul Johnson (most recently Vice President of People & Culture and Chief Diversity Officer at the Seattle Symphony) does in his time at Lakeside, no changes to DEI initiatives have been reported for the 2025-26 school year.

On the website, Lakeside points to the strategic plan, Hope in Action, unveiled last year, as evidence of its “commitment to [DEI] as a foundational aspect of Lakeside School.” 

Critical Race Training in Education’s website compiles a list of actions, policies, and training Lakeside has implemented in recent years. Updated as recently as March 13, 2025, the page includes references to a commitment to DEI across Lakeside’s divisions, from its pedagogy to professional development.

Though the future of DEI across the country appears bleak, at Lakeside, the biggest change for now will be the appointment of a new program director. Still, whether the sweeping national changes will eventually reach the school remains unclear; however, Rosete hopes that Lakeside “will be able to foster creative ways … to ensure that we are properly representing the diverse world we live in through our practice,” regardless of outside pressure.