On Thursday, a federal judge in Maryland struck down two broad policies from the Trump administration that aimed to reform civil rights legislation and limit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in public schools.
In internal communications released by the Department of Education in mid-February and early April, the administration had cautioned that schools might lose federal funding unless they removed race-focused teaching, ended initiatives supporting particular groups, and provided confirmations stating they followed the administration's new interpretation of federal civil rights laws.
Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher, who was selected for the court by Trump in his initial term, determined that these orders were illegal, violating constitutional safeguards and not legally binding. She subsequently halted their execution indefinitely,as stated in a report by Democracy Docket.
Gallagher concluded that the ambiguity of the rules significantly denied schools their right to due process. As the judge stated, the language was so vague that teachers had no clear understanding of what behaviors were prohibited, thus weakening constitutional protections.
She stated that the two documents, when considered as a whole, "establish a system that stifles a significant portion of protected expression and is unacceptably ambiguous."
Teachers, she cautioned, might reasonably worry that addressing systemic racism in staff meetings or endorsing self-selected student groups could put their financial support at risk.
The court's injunction clearly prevents the Department of Education from "implementing, enforcing, or applying" the policies from the Trump administration in any way.
The case was initiated by the American Federation of Teachers, the American Sociological Association, and Oregon's Eugene School District 4J, who argued that civil rights law was being misused to attack schools, educators, and students, according to the report.
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