Compliance Stuff

On February 21, 2025, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland issued a nationwide preliminary injunction halting the enforcement of three key provisions of President Trump’s Executive Orders intended to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), in the federal government and beyond.   See National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education et al. v. Trump et al. , No. 1:25-cv-00333 (D. Md. Feb. 21, 2025).   These Executive Orders, titled, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” and “Ending Radical Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” which target federal programs tied to DEI and seek to influence private sector programs, have sparked legal challenges from national organizations who argue that the orders are unconstitutional. The three key provisions of the Executive Orders addressed in the court’s ruling are as follows: The “Termination Provision,” which directed all executive agencies to “ terminate…...

The first challenge to President Trump’s Executive Orders targeting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the private sector has resulted in a preliminary injunction. As we previously  reported , several organizations filed a  lawsuit  in federal court in Maryland challenging two of President Trump’s Executive Orders. Judge Adam B. Abelson (a Biden appointee)  ruled  that certain provisions in the Executive Orders are unconstitutional and  barred  the federal government from enforcing them. The operative provisions The plaintiffs are the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Association of University Professors, Restaurant Opportunities Center United, and the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. They challenged specific portions of the Executive Orders. With respect to Executive Order 14151, “ Ending Radical Government DEI Programs and Preferencing ,” the plaintiffs challenged t he provision directing the termi...