U.S. Education Department Faces Another Lawsuit Over DEI Crackdown
The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Education Department over its recent Dear Colleague letter, which threatens to strip federal funding from schools using race-conscious policies.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, follows a similar complaint from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) last week. The legal challenges stem from a Feb. 14 directive issued by Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor, warning that schools failing to comply with the new interpretation of a 2023 Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action could face funding cuts.
NEA and ACLU argue that the directive overreaches, disrupting educators’ ability to follow professional best practices and violating civil rights protections and First Amendment rights. The lawsuit highlights concerns that the policy shifts control over public education away from states and school districts.
With mounting opposition from major labor unions and civil rights organizations, the Education Department faces growing legal battles over its enforcement of the new directive.
