Department Of Education Pulls Back After Losing DEI Court Case

First Amendment advocates and higher ed leaders are declaring victory.
By Susie Madrak — February 20, 2026

The Department of Education dropped their appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked the department from requiring colleges to eradicate all race-based curriculum, financial aid and student services or lose federal funding.

The court battle was over a 2025 Dear Colleague letter that declared race-based programming and policies illegal. If institutions didn’t comply within two weeks, federal officials threatened to investigate and pull federal funding.

We all saw what happened. Going to absurd lengths to comply, colleges bent over backwards to wipe all traces of intentional diversity.

First Amendment advocacy groups and the DEI leaders who still remain in higher education said it was a "major victory" for public education. Democracy Forward, the legal group that represented educators in the case, went as far as to say that it marks the “final defeat” of Trump’s effort to censor lessons and scrub student support programs.

Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, said the ruling should encourage those affected by the Epstein administration “unlawful crusade against civil rights” to keep fighting.

The finality of this ruling against the Trump admin's illegal anti-DEI policy seems like a pretty big deal: "the district court issued a final ruling today, permanently invalidating the directive and preventing the government from enforcing, relying on, or reviving it.." www.aclu.org/press-releas...

— Crystal Fleming クリスタル (@alwaystheself.bsky.social) 2026-02-18T21:56:24.545Z

A federal court ruling stopping the Trump Administration from using funding threats to punish schools that uphold DEI will remain in place. Efforts to coerce schools into abandoning equity failed. Civil rights are not optional — and they must be protected.

— Attorney Ben Crump (@attorneybencrump.bsky.social) 2026-01-25T16:03:11.927Z

Dept. of Education drops appeal of ruling that blocked its anti-DEI crusade. "The Trump admin. has dropped its appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked its campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion in the nation’s schools and colleges." www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

— Progressive News Service (@prognews.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T00:48:22.819Z

Can you help us out?

For over 20 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but social media is limiting our ability to attract new readers. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.

Become a subscriber:
 
Make a donation:

If you don't mind the ads and would rather donate, please select one of the options below:

Kindest
Donate via PayPal
Via Snail Mail
payable to: Crooksandliars
2708 Wilshire Blvd. #148
Santa Monica, CA 90403

Explore more

Discussion

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.
Mastodon