Judge Rules Against Trump’s Plan To Trash DEI Programs At Schools And Universities

U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher--a Trump appointee--found the Department of Ed violated the law after threatening to cut federal funding.

A federal judge ruled against actions by President Donald Trump’s Department of Education (DOE) targeting the end of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at schools and universities across the nation, labeling the moves as unlawful, according to the Associated Press.

Maryland’s U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher– a Trump appointee — found the Department violated the law after threatening to cut federal funding from educational institutions that went against Trump’s executive order to dump DEI initiatives. The ruling comes after guidance has been on pause since April 2025, following a decision by three federal judges to block a number of parameters surrounding the DOE’s anti-DEI measures.

In addition, Gallagher’s Aug. 14 decision was handed down after the American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association requested a motion for summary judgment, challenging the administration’s actions in a lawsuit.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the February 2025 lawsuit centers on two memos from the Education Department, which demand that schools and universities end all “race-based decision-making” or risk facing penalties, including the loss of federal funding.

Gallagher rejected the government’s argument that the memos, which state and education groups labeled as illegal government censorship, were a simple reminder that alleged school discrimination is illegal, thanks to the Supreme Court’s controversial decision to overturn affirmative action, framing it as discrimination against white and Asian American students. “It initiated 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,” Gallagher wrote the few states to go against Trump’s order to certify the 1,000 school districts that ended all DEI programs.

One of Trump’s numerous Democratic adversaries, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, defended diversity efforts in schools, contending that “there is nothing in state or federal law” outlawing the practice. “Hooray! We love court rulings that recognize the value of our kids and the vision of democracy, which includes diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we look forward to implementing all that we can to make sure kids know where they come from, that they’re valued here, and that we are preparing them for the world,” Franklin said.

Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, the legal advocacy firm representing plaintiffs of the lawsuit, said the ruling is an important accomplishment. “Threatening teachers and sowing chaos in schools throughout America is part of the administration’s war on education, and today the people won,” Perryman said.

Of course, the Education Department, under the leadership of Linda McMahon, issued a statement claiming to be disappointed following the ruling. However, the agency feels it won’t stop its anti-diversity moves as “judicial action enjoining or setting aside this guidance has not stopped our ability to enforce Title VI protections for students at an unprecedented level.”