Judges Thwart Trump’s Anti-DEI Crusade

_WHAT’S HAPPENING_

President Donald Trump is implementing sweeping restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in public schools by threatening to withhold federal funding from non-compliant institutions. Earlier this month, the Department of Education directed state school systems to certify they are eliminating DEI programs or risk losing Title I funding.

The policy triggered immediate legal challenges, with 19 Democratic-led states filing lawsuits claiming the funding cuts would be "catastrophic." Last week, three federal judges, including two Trump appointees, blocked aspects of the administration's enforcement policy.

_THE FACTS_

• On April 23, Trump signed executive orders banning race-based discipline in schools and limiting the use of “disparate impact” theory in government policies.

• One of Trump’s executive orders specifically targets higher education accreditation bodies that mandate DEI programs.

• The Department of Education urged states to comply with Trump’s orders quickly, or risk lawsuits, civil penalties, and losing federal funds.

• A federal judge slammed Trump’s anti-DEI policies, calling them "textbook viewpoint discrimination" and a likely First Amendment violation.

• Two Trump-appointed judges also blocked parts of the policy, saying it was too vague and violated federal procedural rules on how to make policy.

• A dozen Democrat-led states refused to sign the compliance document by the April 25 deadline, risking billions in federal education funding.

• The $13.8 billion at stake mainly supports teachers, counselors, and academic programs in schools for low-income children.

• California joined a lawsuit against Trump’s anti-DEI policies, even though its Proposition 209 — approved by voters in the 1990s — bans affirmative action.

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