A federal judge on Thursday struck down two Trump administration directives aimed at dismantling DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs at schools and universities across the United States.
In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher of Maryland said the U.S. Department of Education violated federal law when it threatened to cut off funding from institutions that continued DEI initiatives. The guidance had been on hold since April, when multiple courts temporarily blocked portions of the department’s anti-DEI measures.
The decision stems from a February lawsuit filed by the American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association. The plaintiffs challenged two department memos that ordered colleges to end all “race-based decision-making” in admissions, financial aid, hiring, and student life or face penalties — including a complete loss of federal funding.
Judge Gallagher, a Trump appointee, wrote that the memos marked “a sea change in how the Department of Education regulates educational practices and classroom conduct, causing millions of educators to reasonably fear that their lawful, and even beneficial, speech might cause them or their schools to be punished.” She emphasized that her decision did not weigh in on the merits of the policies themselves but found that the department failed to follow required procedures in issuing the guidance.
The memos were part of a broader administration effort to reinterpret a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that struck down race-conscious admissions. The Education Department expanded that decision to prohibit any use of race in nearly all areas of education, framing DEI policies as discriminatory against white and Asian American students.
Critics said the directives amounted to government censorship and undermined efforts to address long-standing racial disparities. “Threatening teachers and sowing chaos in schools throughout America is part of the administration’s war on education, and today the people won,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which represented the plaintiffs.
The Education Department expressed disappointment with the ruling, stating that “judicial action enjoining or setting aside this guidance has not stopped our ability to enforce Title VI protections for students at an unprecedented level.”
An April follow-up memo escalated the administration’s position, requiring state education agencies to certify they were not engaging in “illegal DEI practices” or risk losing federal funds and facing prosecution under the False Claims Act.
For now, Gallagher’s decision requires the department to rescind the guidance — halting one of the administration’s most sweeping attempts to reshape civil rights enforcement in higher education.
