Federal Judge Halts Two Trump Administration Assaults on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policies in Schools and Universities
In a series of significant decisions, Judge Stephanie Gallagher and Judge William G. Young, presiding in Maryland and Massachusetts respectively, have invalidated the Trump administration's attempts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in schools and universities.
Judge Stephanie Gallagher's Rulings:
Judge Gallagher, a Trump appointee presiding in Maryland, ruled against the U.S. Department of Education's attempts to enforce anti-DEI policies through executive orders, memos, and funding threats targeting K-12 schools and universities.
The judge's rulings were based on several key legal findings. She highlighted that the Department of Education unlawfully tried to withhold federal grant funding from institutions that practiced DEI, based on a February 14, 2025 memo and a certification requirement that states confirm no DEI use in schools.
Gallagher emphasized that the government failed to follow required procedural rules in enacting these policies, thereby invalidating the administration's approach even without deciding on the merits of DEI itself. The judge also highlighted serious constitutional problems under the First Amendment, stating the government cannot "proclaim that it ‘will no longer tolerate’ speech it dislikes because of its ‘motivating ideology’".
Gallagher dismissed the administration's demand requiring states to certify the absence of DEI policies as unlawful.
Context and Implications:
Gallagher’s rulings followed motions by plaintiff groups such as the American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association. The decisions blocked the Education Department from penalizing schools and colleges financially for maintaining DEI programs.
Judge William G. Young:
While the search results do not provide explicit details on Judge William G. Young's specific rulings, he has been involved in related federal cases challenging the Trump administration's DEI policies. Generally, such rulings have aligned with those of Judge Gallagher in rejecting the administration's overreach by emphasizing constitutional protections and proper regulatory procedures.
Summary:
The Trump administration's anti-DEI measures were invalidated primarily on procedural grounds (lack of proper process and rulemaking) and constitutional grounds (violation of free speech protections under the First Amendment). Judges ruled that the government could not legally demand funding certifications or impose penalties to suppress DEI initiatives without following the law.
These rulings protect ongoing DEI programs in schools and universities from being cut off from federal funding based on the Trump-era prohibitions.
The rulings of Judges Stephanie Gallagher and William G. Young are landmark decisions that halt efforts to dismantle DEI in education through executive overreach and unconstitutional restrictions. The education department's guidance, which had been on hold since April, when three federal judges temporarily blocked parts of the department's anti-DEI measures, is now also invalidated.
The administration had warned colleges against creating race-specific scholarships or prizes and against requiring students to participate in "racially charged" orientation programs. However, these directives have now been struck down, providing a significant victory for DEI initiatives in education.
- The rulings of Judge Stephanie Gallagher, a Trump appointee, in Maryland, and Judge William G. Young, in Massachusetts, have underscored the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in education-and-self-development by invalidating the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle such initiatives.
- The invalidation of the Trump administration's attempts to withhold federal grant funding from institutions that practiced DEI, as decided by Judge Gallagher, serves as a crucial step towards ensuring the inclusion of diversity in general-news and politics, thereby reinforcing the commitment to DEI in various sectors.
