A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to terminate federal grants and contracts relating to DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs.
According to CNN, US District Judge Adam Abelson in Maryland said in his ruling that the Trump administration could not require federal contractors and grant recipients to certify that they did not engage in DEI-related work. He also ruled that the government could not freeze or terminate “equity-related” contracts or grants and said the term “equity-related” was too vague.
“Plaintiffs have amply established a likelihood that they will succeed in proving that the Termination Provision invites arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement over billions of dollars in government funding,” U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Maryland said per NBC News.
“The possibilities are almost endless, and many are pernicious,” Abelson continued. “If an elementary school receives Department of Education funding for technology access, and a teacher uses a computer to teach the history of Jim Crow laws, does that risk the grant being deemed ‘equity-related’ and the school being stripped of funding?”
According to POLITICO, Abelson also suggested that the executive orders attempting to ban DEI likely violate the First Amendment because they punish private organizations based on their views.
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