Obama-appointed judge blocks Trump admin from banning discriminatory practices in schools

(Daily Caller News Foundation) – A federal judge Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s memo prohibiting race-based preferences and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in schools.

The National Education Association (NEA) and the Center for Black Educator Development (CBED) filed the lawsuit against the Department of Education (ED) in March over the Feb. 14 memo reminding schools of their obligation to adhere to civil rights laws. The lawsuit claims ED’s actions violate federal law by “directing or controlling schools’ curricula,” violate the First Amendment and are “arbitrary and capricious.”

“The 2025 Letter targets speech based on viewpoint,” the court decision issued by Obama-appointed Judge Landya McCafferty reads. “It concludes that schools may not use DEI programs to ‘toxically indoctrinate[ ] students with the false premise that the United States is built upon ‘systemic and structural racism’’ or to ‘teach students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens that others do not’ in any “aspect[ ] of student, academic, [or] campus life.”

Not long after the February memo, ED launched investigations into over 50 universities over alleged “race-exclusionary practices.” On April 3, the department put out a memo notifying states they are required to certify all schools are in compliance with the order with a deadline that was later extended to April 24.

Several education officials vowed to take a stand against the administration’s rule.

DEI initiatives were heavily promoted under the Biden administration, which spend roughly $600 million on diversity training programs for teachers alone, which instructed them to “to take personal and institutional responsibility for systemic inequities” and acknowledge “systemic forms of oppression and inequity, including racism, ableism, ‘gender-based’ discrimination, homophobia, and ageism.”

Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has worked to root out DEI initiatives as well as lesson on critical race theory from schools and federal agencies, signing several executive orders banning the use of federal funding to support such topics, such as the day one order “ending radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing.” Hundreds of documents outlining DEI practices have been scrubbed from the ED’s website, staff members have been placed on administrative leave and all DEI training has been halted under Trump’s direction, with widespread support from voters.

NEA, CBED and ED did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.