The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio (DCNEO) is a non-profit organization in Cleveland, Ohio, that promotes critical race theory-aligned ideologies in the name of equity, diversity, and social justice. DCNEO provides training and teaching for schools, professional organizations, and individuals. DCNEO has been criticized by parents at school board meetings for promoting critical race theory, a claim which it denies.

History

Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio was founded by religious leaders in 1927 as the Cleveland chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews to promote understanding and mobilize against violence. ¹ In 2006, the organization changed its name to the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio and joined the National Federation for Just Communities. ² Each year, DCNEO trains over 14,000 students and educators from 150 schools in 11 counties in northeast Ohio. ³ The President of DCNEO, Peggy Zone Fisher, has stated that Critical Race Theory is not part of the diversity training that DCNEO provides to schools. ⁴

Initiatives

School and Youth Programming

Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio provides diversity conferences, retreats, and workshops year-round. ⁵ For adults, DNCEO provides professional development on matters such as bias and micro messages, sexuality and gender acceptance, racial justice for educators, privilege, systemic inequalities in the United States, and leveraging diversity in thought. ⁶ For students, DNCEO provides teaching for students in grades K-12. ⁷ DNCEO also provides student facilitation training that has “brave and honest conversations about social justice and diversity topics.” ⁸

DNCEO promotes its J.E.D.I. (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) training stating it can integrate experts into school districts on a daily basis. ⁹ School districts in 11 Northeast Ohio counties have contracts with DNCEO to provide training. ¹⁰ In 2020, Fairview Park paid $15,000 to DNCEO to facilitate a diversity task force. ¹¹ Schools throughout Northeast Ohio have canceled contracts with DNCEO over arguments that it is teaching critical race theory. ¹² In Berea, Ohio, DNCEO provided school district teachers with J.E.D.I. training. ¹³ The school has denied it is critical race theory teaching. However, parents have raised concerns with the school board. ¹⁴ DNCEO has contracts with other large school districts in Northeast Ohio that has prompted concerns from parents over the subject matter being taught. ¹⁵

LeadDiversity

LeadDiversity is DCNEO’s yearly outreach and training effort for community leaders in Northeast Ohio. ¹⁶ The program goals include greater awareness of personal identity, privilege, and systemic oppression; training to becoming an advocate for inclusion and equity; and providing a toolkit for diversity, inclusion, and equity. ¹⁷ The program consists of 15-half day training sessions and costs each participant $3,000. ¹⁸

SHIFT Consulting

SHIFT Consulting is the professional development division of DCNEO. ¹⁹ SHIFT works with companies and organizations to identify and implement diversity, equity, and inclusion into the workplace. ²⁰ SHIFT provides consulting services and workshops to organizations to teach justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion to groups on policies, practices, and procedures. ²¹

Finances

In 2019, the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio reported $1,383,679 in revenue and $1,343,263 in expenses. ²² DCNEO Districts has $562,420 in assets. ²³ Income from programs alone was $1,131,662. ²⁴ Each year DCNEO hosts a Walk, Rock and Run fundraiser that involves either a 1 or 3 mile walk or 5k run. ²⁵ In addition to the registration fee, individuals and teams are encouraged to raise money for DCNEO. ²⁶

Leadership

Peggy Zone Fisher became the President and CEO of Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio in 2006. ²⁷ Fisher is the wife of former Lt. Governor of Ohio Lee Fisher (D). ²⁸ She is the daughter of Michael and Mary Zone, who combined served more than 21 years on the Cleveland City Council as Democrats. ²⁹ For most of her career, Fisher was president of Zone Travel, a travel agency in Cleveland. ³⁰ During the Clinton Administration, Fisher was a delegate to the White House Conference on AIDS and named a national commissioner to the White House Conference on Small Business. ³¹ In the past 20 years, Fisher has donated over $11,000 to Democratic candidates including Hillary Clinton, Al Franken, Sherrod Brown, Ted Strickland, and the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus. ³²

1. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 12, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/about-us/.
2. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 12, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/about-us/.
3. Cleveland State University Women’s Leadership Symposium website. www.csuohio.edu. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.csualumni.com/media/4610/peggy-zone-fisher.pdf; Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 15, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/events/walk-rock-run/.
4. Zone Fisher, Peggy. “Diversity and Inclusion is Being Attacked for Something It Is Not.” www.cleveland.com. October 16, 2021. Accessed November 15, 2021. https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2021/10/diversity-and-inclusion-is-being-attacked-for-something-it-is-not-peggy-zone-fisher.html.
5. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. “School and Youth Programming.” www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/school-youth/.
6. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. “School and Youth Programming.” www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/school-youth/.
7. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. “School and Youth Programming.” www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/school-youth/.
8. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. “School and Youth Programming.” www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/school-youth/.
9. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. “School and Youth Programming.” www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/school-youth/.
10. ^[1] Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. “School and Youth Programming.” www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/school-youth/.
11. Benson, John. “Protests Lead Fairview Park City Schools to Create Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Task Force.” October 1, 2020. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.cleveland.com/community/2020/10/social-protests-lead-fairview-park-city-schools-to-create-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-justice-task-force.html.
12. Saltzman, Shelly. “Let’s Rally Behind an Honest and Complete Education for All Our Children.” www.cleveland.com. November 5, 2021. Accessed November 15, 2021. https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2021/11/lets-rally-behind-an-honest-and-complete-education-for-all-our-children-shelly-saltzman.html/
13. Mlady, Beth. “Berea School Superintendent Refutes CRT ‘False Narrative.’” www.cleveland.com. November 11, 2021. Accessed November 15, 2021. https://www.cleveland.com/community/2021/11/berea-schools-superintendent-refutes-crt-false-narrative.html.
14. Mlady, Beth. “Berea School Superintendent Refutes CRT ‘False Narrative.’” www.cleveland.com. November 11, 2021. Accessed November 15, 2021. https://www.cleveland.com/community/2021/11/berea-schools-superintendent-refutes-crt-false-narrative.html.
15. Dillard, DeLaun. “Hudson Parents Voice Concern Over District’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program.” NBC5 News Cleveland. May 28, 2021. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/oh-summit/hudson-parents-voice-concern-over-districts-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-program; Fields, Cameron. “Rocky Rivers Schools Tax Increase Failed for the First Time in Over a Decade, After Teacher Investigation and Letter Over Diversity Education.” www.cleveland.com. May 7, 2021. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2021/05/rocky-river-schools-tax-increase-failed-for-the-first-time-in-almost-a-decade-after-teacher-investigation-and-letter-over-diversity-education.html; Wittenberg, Ed. “Resident Urges Chagrin Falls School Board to ‘Stop DEIJ Initiative Immediately.” www.cleveland.com. June 18, 2021. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.cleveland.com/community/2021/06/resident-urges-chagrin-falls-school-board-to-stop-deij-initiative-immediately.html; Heisig, Eric. “Fear of ‘Critical Race Theory’ Draws Dozens of Northeast Ohio Parents to Normally Sleepy School Board Meetings.” www.cleveland.com. September 4, 2021. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.cleveland.com/education/2021/09/fear-of-critical-race-theory-draws-dozens-of-northeast-ohio-parents-to-normally-sleepy-school-board-meetings.html.
16. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. “LeadDiversity.” www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/leaddiversity/.
17. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. “LeadDiversity.” www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/leaddiversity/.
18. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. “LeadDiversity.” www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/leaddiversity/.
19. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. “SHIFT Consulting.” www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/shiftconsulting/.
20. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. “SHIFT Consulting.” www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/shiftconsulting/.
21. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. “SHIFT Consulting.” www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/shiftconsulting/.
22. Form 990: Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio, 2019.
23. Form 990: Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio, 2019.
24. Form 990: Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio, Part I, 2019.
25. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. “Walk Rock & Run.” www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 15, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/events/walk-rock-run/.
26. Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio website. “Walk Rock & Run.” www.diversitycenterneo.org. Accessed November 15, 2021. https://www.diversitycenterneo.org/events/walk-rock-run/.
27. Cleveland State University Women’s Leadership Symposium website. www.csuohio.edu. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.csualumni.com/media/4610/peggy-zone-fisher.pdf.
28. ^[1] Cleveland-Marshall College of Law website. www.law.csuohio.edu. Accessed November 12, 2021. https://www.law.csuohio.edu/meetcmlaw/faculty/fisher.
29. Cleveland State University Women’s Leadership Symposium website. www.csuohio.edu. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.csualumni.com/media/4610/peggy-zone-fisher.pdf.
30. Peggy Zone Fisher LinkedIn profile. www.linkedin.com. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggy-zone-fisher-b4ba996/.
31. Peggy Zone Fisher LinkedIn profile. www.linkedin.com. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggy-zone-fisher-b4ba996/; Cleveland State University Women’s Leadership Symposium website. www.csuohio.edu. Accessed November 13, 2021.
32. Center for Responsive Politics. “Donor Lookup: Peggy Zone Fisher.” opensecrets.org. Accessed November 15, 2021. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Peggy+zone+fisher.