Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration DEI Grant Cuts

A federal judge struck down the current President Donald Trump administration’s policy requiring the Education Department to terminate more than $600 million in grants for teacher-training and education programs associated with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley ruled that the department had not established clear criteria for identifying programs tied to so-called “divisive ideologies” and had failed to assess the consequences for educators, universities and other institutions dependent on the funding. The grants supported programs addressing topics including critical race theory, social justice, anti-racism, and race-based recruiting, which the administration criticized. Eight Democratic-led states sued to block the cuts, after the Supreme Court had allowed the administration to proceed while the case was pending.