University professors, diversity officers, and labor advocates have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders targeting DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives. The lawsuit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for Maryland, argues that the orders are unconstitutional and exceed presidential authority.
The legal challenge marks the first lawsuit against the sweeping directives, which were among Trump’s earliest actions after beginning his second term. The orders, aimed at eliminating DEI programs in the federal government and scrutinizing similar efforts in the private sector and academia, have already led to widespread dismissals of federal employees involved in DEI work.
The plaintiffs in the case include the American Association of University Professors, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, and the mayor and city council of Baltimore. The groups are represented by Democracy Forward, a nonprofit legal organization, alongside Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
“Our Constitution protects all Americans—whether you are a university professor or a restaurant worker—from unlawful intrusion on speech, ideas, and expression and entitles all Americans to fair process,” Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, said in a statement. “Trump’s ‘Anti-DEIA’ Executive Orders offend these protections and others.”
The order, issued on January 20, mandated the closure of federal diversity offices, leading to immediate layoffs of related personnel. It also instructed agencies to terminate grants and contracts deemed “equity-related.” The second order, issued a day later, directed the attorney general and federal agencies to identify large corporations and universities for potential civil investigations based on their DEI programs. Additionally, federal contractors must now certify that their DEI programs do not violate anti-discrimination laws or they risk financial penalties under the False Claims Act.
The lawsuit contends that Trump does not have unilateral authority to terminate federal grants and contracts without explicit congressional approval. It also argues that the orders’ vague language, particularly regarding terms like “DEI” and “illegal DEIA,” fails to provide clear guidelines on what is prohibited, violating due process rights under the Fifth Amendment.
Furthermore, the plaintiffs argue that the orders infringe on First Amendment protections by discouraging universities, corporations, and individuals from engaging in DEI efforts under threat of government scrutiny.
“This executive order goes beyond just attacking DEI; it aims to establish the legal framework to attack anyone or any place who dares to celebrate our diversity,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, a plaintiff in the lawsuit, said in a statement.
As the legal battle unfolds, the case could set a precedent for how far the federal government can go in regulating diversity initiatives in public and private institutions.
