If there were ever a textbook example of how federal politics can directly shape local outcomes, it was last night’s Talbot County Council meeting.
Armed with a directive from the Trump administration’s Secretary of Transportation, Council members were informed that federal funding for capital improvements like civilian airports—including Easton’s—would be contingent on the removal of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies from local government. The message was pretty straightforward: without eliminating DEI language from employee handbooks or discontinuing annual diversity reports, Talbot County could forfeit up to $48 million in federal grants earmarked for infrastructure improvements, specifically, runway modifications currently underway at the Easton Airport.
As shown in our highlight reel, pragmatism ultimately prevailed. The Council voted 4–1 to remove all DEI-related language and policies from the county’s public documents to preserve funding for the airport project in northeast Talbot County, whose goal is to comply with the Federal government’s FAA regulations.
Here is the full resolution:
Administrative resolution regarding the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement adopted by the County Council of Talbot County, Maryland on September 22, 2020, and diversity training for employees of Talbot County, Maryland.
Whereas, on June 23, 2020, the County Council of Talbot County, Maryland adopted an administrative resolution requiring the County Manager to:
Provide an annual report describing diversity training initiatives for employees of Talbot County, Maryland in the prior fiscal year, and Identify new opportunities for diversity training in the following fiscal year.
And whereas, on July 14, 2020, the County Council adopted an administrative resolution requiring the development of a diversity statement for the County applicable to County government.
And whereas, in accordance with the July 14 administrative resolution, on September 22, 2020, the County Council adopted by motion a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) statement, the objective of which is stated therein as follows:
By adopting this Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement, the County strives to foster an environment that welcomes and accepts diversity within County government.
The County is committed to:
Maintaining an inclusive, productive, supportive, open, innovative, and equitable workplace environment in which every individual is valued for his or her unique characteristics.
Fostering respect, understanding, and acceptance of differences.
Enabling employees to reach their full potential, thus enhancing the relationships among ourselves and optimizing the quality of services to our residents and fellow employees.
And whereas, following the adoption of the June 23 administrative resolution, the County Manager has provided annual reports to the County Council regarding diversity training.
And whereas, on March 26, 2024, the County Council adopted an administrative resolution adopting the 2024 employee handbook for Talbot County, Maryland.
The employee handbook contains provisions setting forth the County’s commitments to:
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Zero tolerance for harassment of any kind whatsoever, including:
Workplace harassment
Sexual harassment
Bullying
Intimidation
Threats and violenceAnd whereas, in accordance with the foregoing policies and applicable law—including but not limited to the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution—the County is a merit-based employer.
Employees and prospective employees enjoy equal opportunity in all employment decisions, without regard to:
Race
Creed
Sex
National origin
Disability
Or other protected characteristicsAnd the County does not discriminate based on such protected characteristics.
And whereas it is the intent and desire of the County Council and County Administration that every County employee and prospective employee enjoys a welcoming workplace where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.
And whereas, the County relies heavily on financial assistance from the federal government in various projects—including, but not limited to, the pending airfield modernization program for the Easton Airport. The County would not be able to fund such projects without such assistance.
And whereas, on April 24, 2025, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation sent a letter to all recipients of U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) funding, including the County, stating in pertinent part:
Any policy, program, or activity that is premised on a prohibited classification—including discriminatory policies or practices designed to achieve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals—presumptively violates federal law.
Recipients of DOT financial assistance must ensure that personnel practices, including hiring, promotions, and terminations within their organizations, are merit-based and do not discriminate based on prohibited categories.
And whereas the County Council does not wish to jeopardize the County’s ability to receive critical federal funding, including DOT funding for the program.
And whereas, the employee handbook sets forth the intent and desire of the County Council and County Administration that every County employee and prospective employee enjoys a welcoming workplace where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect, consistent with:
Applicable laws and regulations
The County’s commitments to EEO, ADA, and zero tolerance for harassmentAnd whereas, notwithstanding the June 23 administrative resolution, the County Administration provides training to all employees regarding compliance with equitable laws and regulations, consistent with EEO, ADA, and zero tolerance for harassment.
And whereas, in consideration of the foregoing, the County Council deems it appropriate to adopt this administrative resolution such that:
The June 23 administrative resolution
The July 14 administrative resolution
And the DEI statement
Are of no further force and effect.Now therefore, be it resolved by the County Council of Talbot County:
The foregoing recitals are not merely prefatory, but are a substantive part of this administrative resolution.
Effective immediately, the June 23 administrative resolution, the July 14 administrative resolution, and the DEI statement are of no further force and effect.
Effective immediately, the County Manager shall no longer be required to provide an annual report to the County Council detailing diversity training initiatives for County employees. However, the County Manager shall continue to inform the County Council regarding training afforded to employees in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Nothing in this administrative resolution shall be construed as a repudiation of the intent and desire of the County Council and County Administration that:
Every County employee and prospective employee enjoys a welcoming workplace where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect, without regard to race, creed, sex, national origin, disability, or other protected characteristics.
Nor shall it be construed as a prohibition or limitation on the County Administration’s authority to provide training to all County employees regarding compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Be it further resolved that this administrative resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption.
Introduced by the County Council of Talbot County, Maryland at a regular meeting on June 10, 2025, at which meeting copies were available to the public for inspection.
Adopted by the County Council of Talbot County, Maryland at a regular meeting on June 10, 2025, at which meeting copies were available to the public for inspection.
This video is approximately eight minutes in length.
Brian Wroten says
Oh look, “states rights” and “small government” conservatives immediately abandoning their arguments the instant an administration they like enforces a policy from on high. It’s almost like they never actually cared about those arguments and were just using them as a cudgel to oppose liberals the whole time.
Connie Lauffer says
To the Talbot Council members.
Yes, I was disappointed in your actions last evening as you did not stand by what is gentle support for all of us who care about decency and fairplay. Words written in your policies to be guided by, words to live by, kind words.
But what shocks me even more is your inability to look beyond the borders of Talbot County to see what’s going on in our country as a whole, day by day, hour by hour; an illegal concentration of power and a “theft” of the country’s wealth. Threats on peoples reputations, livelihoods, personal safety and beyond.
Do you not realize that your choice of “compliance“ feeds into this lust for power, money and control. A naive gesture on your part!
Unless we stand together and stand strong, don’t give in and give up, this democracy that we know and love will no longer exist. Picture it, Easton Regional Airport will be operating while the democracy is not.
Shame on you!
(Keisha you make us proud!)
Deirdre LaMotte says
I agree Connie! When a few law firms capitulated to Trump, most did not and they are thriving.
Meanwhile, the ones that did give in are losing partners and top first year associates.
Stand tall against authoritarians. They will back down everytime.
Dennis Smith says
Frankly I believe the county should have not backed down. If the FAA want to shift the airport runway let them do it themselves. I am sure the airport provides a livelihood to someone and I would be sorry for them if that went away. I understand the naval academy, a federal agency, use it maybe they could pay for it and manage the work. But if the planes stopped flying Easton would be a quieter place.
Michael Pullen says
The first rule of resistance to authoritarianism is, “do not obey in advance.“ This comes from Timothy, Snyder‘s excellent and short book, “On Tyranny”.
Obeying in advance does not solve the problem but simply invites further demands, further erosion of the rule of law.
Federal funding has already been approved, appropriated by Congress and committed to this project. The project has been bid, the bid accepted, a contract executed.
Now, because a different administration sits at the controls none of that seems to matter. This administration ignores settled law, ignores the Constitution, and is following the authoritarian playbook to consolidate power.
This Council (4-1) has dishonorably run away from its responsibilities and has disgraced itself.
On May 24, 1774, Talbot citizens adopted the “Talbot Resolves,” supporting the citizens of Boston following the Boston Tea Party.
“John Thomas Scharf, a 19th-century historian and author of a history of Maryland, wrote that “…no county was more decided in its action than Talbot.[19][Note 2] Another author wrote that the May 24 meeting in Talbot County was “among the very earliest” of those type of “meetings held in Maryland”.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talbot_Resolves
Americans were divided about how to respond to the British King. In 1774 courageous County citizens stood up to the King. What has our Council done?
The American story requires courage in many forms. This Council failed to rise to the challenge of our time. There will be more to come. Abandonment of principle is wrong. It is foolish to think there will be no further demands for obedience to other whims of the lawless administration in Washington.
Bill Keppen says
Trump/right wing blackmail is an abomination.
Rick Hughes says
The Talbot County Council was right to include the original diversity, equity and inclusion language in the employee handbook: it was aspirational and required not one action that could be considered an objectionable hiring or retention practice. To acknowledge diversity in our community and assure an equitable and inclusive workplace is certainly honorable and something that Talbot County lives up to with or without the printed words (and I hope that all rational people adhere to it in their personal lives). Unfortunately, politicians have demonized DEI as if it was actually some evil conspiracy of “reverse discrimination” (whatever that is). The attack on DEI is nothing more than another attempt to divide us. It’s easy to lose hope in the day to day chaos of Trumpcashistan, but let’s not forget that he was not elected with a MANDATE, by any metric, and a man who can pardon 1,600 convicted January 6 criminals and then deploy the Guard and USMC against people exercising their right to protest is simply wrong – and likely illegal (if there is such a thing for POTUS anymore). Now the federal government is trying to force towns, counties, states, companies and colleges into submission through the extortion of holding back funds that have already been allocated and are useful and beneficial to the community. The GOP is backing every Project 2025 radical idea that it can in order to stroke the master. They’d likely cut off oxygen to a dying child if a POTUS Tweet or executive order said so. We the People are better than this, America is better than this. Andy Harris is a Trump yes man and all of the congresspeople who are staying silent while the USA is being dismantled are complicit. Want to make America great again? Then demand a return to justice for all, demand accountability for illegal actions by POTUS and others, demand that POTUS tell the truth and stop the chaos. Everywhere we look Trump is telling us who and what to hate, it is ugly and is not serving the American public or fulfilling his oath. Enough already. NO KINGS!!!
Wilson Dean says
It is disappointing that the majority of the County Council concluded the Easton Airport runway project was more important than the integrity of the County. Now the Trump team has seen how easy it is to get the Council to kiss the ring of the Administration, they will return again and again with more demands.
Jim Franke says
The Council is in the cult.
jeff morton says
The administration that hates DEI hiring because people will be hired for who or what they are, have filled positions with people based on who they are.
It’s not a comfort to know the County Council rolled over on this waiting to be told they were good boys and will await the next command from the king.
Gary Judy says
This didn’t have to come up again. Months ago 3 County Council members were willing to risk the finances of the County to pacify the emotions of their special interest groups.
Glad they came to their senses.
Alarming one of them didn’t!
Alan Brock says
That’s an awful lot of “whereas”!! I get the “pragmatic” nature of the County Council’s action this week. But, there’s no ducking the truth: our elected council just blinked in the face of federal coercion. Not a good look. Way to go Talbot County.
Gary Judy says
This problem could have been taken care of months ago except 3 County Council members put the entire County at financial risk to pacify the emotions of their special interest groups. Glad they finally came to their senses.
Alarming one did not!