Maryland joins 18 states, sues Department of Education for threats to pull funding over DEI
'With these blatantly unlawful actions, the Trump administration is playing politics with children's futures, threatening to defund schools just because they promote policies that ensure equal education for all students,' wrote Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown.
This year, the Maryland State Department of Education received over $286.7 million in federal funding, making up nearly 69% of the department's total funds. In March, the Trump administration revoked $400 million in pandemic relief funds to Maryland public schools, all of which had already been spent or allocated.
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and argues that the administration's newly announced requirement for public schools to certify that they no longer employ DEI practices to receive federal funding violates several laws, including the Administrative Procedure Act.
DOE's policy argues that the public schools receiving federal funding are required to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, and that schools engaging in DEI practices violate this requirement.
This argument is rebuked in the lawsuit, which calls it an 'ambiguous and unsupported interpretation' of Title VI.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher issued a 48-page ruling in a Maryland lawsuit against DOE initiated by the American Federation of Teachers over the agency's new requirements, blocking its mandate in public schools.
Have a news tip? Contact Mathew Schumer at mschumer@baltsun.com, 443-890-7423 and on X as @mmmschumer.
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