St. Louis County Commissioner raises concerns over DEI policy changes

DULUTH, Minn. — St. Louis County Commissioner Ashley Grimm said that internal discussions led to the removal of LGBTQIA+ and other diversity-related sessions from last year’s Public Health and Human Services conference at the DECC.

In a statement, county spokespeople said it was viewed as potentially conflicting with federal orders from the Trump administration in January of 2025, calling for an end to government DEI offices and positions and equity action plans or initiatives, among other things.

Grimm said the board needs to give formal guidance on the issue, not just for the conference, but for broader county decisions on the topic.

“I think we are treating all of this as probable risk— even low-risk scenarios are being considered high risk,” Grimm said. “And there is a reason for that, but there is also something we lose with that. We have to be able to hold the line somewhere.”

Grimm described the impacts as trans erasure, harm to BIPOC communities and a rollback of past commitments.

“When you push the line so far back—even before you really negotiate, get direct notice, give a legal challenge—then you end up ceding all of those human rights without any fight,” Grimm said.

County officials said they remain committed to serving all residents, adding that the stakes are high because federal dollars support a wide range of county work.

County spokespeople said the loss of federal grants or reimbursements that could come from not complying with federal directives could jeopardize program deliverables and negatively impact services for residents.

Grimm said the board has not had a clear chance to vote on some of these changes and that the public has not been fully informed.

“I think when these decisions live in board memos - it does a disservice because it doesn’t tap into all of the resources we have together in ways that we can really fight and stand for each other,” Grimm said. “I think the federal administration wants us to be divided.”

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