Co-Authors: Mary Rohmiller, Alice Yao, Dylan de Kervor, Ariel Warner, Catherine Guttman-McCabe
The Trump Administration has withdrawn its appeal in a lawsuit challenging the Department of Education’s efforts to curtail diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in school districts and colleges throughout the country. The litigation centered on two documents—a Dear Colleague Letter and Certification Requirement—issued by the Department that attempted to condition billions of dollars in education funding on schools’ willingness to certify the absence of DEI initiatives. Following a federal district court ruling on procedural and constitutional grounds, the Administration has abandoned this specific effort but may still pursue other strategies to restrict these programs.
Legal Background
As the Potomac Law Group team explained in our August client alert, the federal district court found the Dear Colleague Letter and Certification Requirement threatened educators’ free speech rights and violated administrative processes. The ruling affirmed that executive actions cannot override longstanding civil rights protections, including those enshrined in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (Title VI), which prohibits racial discrimination in federally-funded education. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), AFT-Maryland, the American Sociological Association, and Eugene School District 4J, were represented by Democracy Forward.
Ongoing Enforcement and Policy Implications
Despite withdrawing the appeal, the Administration has signaled it will continue its efforts to put an end to DEI programs through other methods. These include initiating civil rights investigations without a formal complaint (i.e., a directed investigation or compliance review), pressuring schools into broad compliance agreements, and using public advocacy to encourage challenges to race-specific initiatives.
The Administration’s yearlong campaign of civil rights enforcement and funding threats have caused uncertainty and confusion, leading many education institutions to overhaul or eliminate numerous diversity programs that did not run afoul of Title VI nondiscrimination requirements. These program changes and terminations will be difficult to reverse, particularly as the efforts to challenge lawful programs continue.
Implications for Educational Institutions
The outcome of this litigation reinforces that federal agencies must follow proper administrative procedures and respect constitutional protections when imposing new conditions on recipients of federal funding. While the immediate threat of funding withdrawal has been averted, school districts and higher education institutions should remain vigilant about ongoing federal investigations and policy shifts that may impact their DEI initiatives.
Educational institutions should review their DEI programs in light of current legal standards and consult with counsel before making changes in response to federal inquiries or guidance. The legal landscape for race-specific educational programs remains unsettled, with potential for future Supreme Court review.
Our team at the Potomac Law Group, which includes former attorneys from the Departments of Education, Justice, and Health & Human Services, can assist clients in navigating these evolving regulatory and enforcement challenges, ensuring compliance with applicable civil rights laws and administrative requirements while honoring institutional values.
