Federal Judge in New Hampshire Grants Preliminary Injunction Blocking Education Department’s DEI Letter
On April 24, 2025, a federal judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire largely blocked the U.S. Department of Education from cutting funding for schools that refuse to drop diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Quick Hits A federal judge blocked the U.S. Department of Education’s “Dear Colleague Letter” that threatened funding cuts for schools with DEI programs, protecting the plaintiff organizations . The court found the letter vague and a potential infringement of First Amendment rights due to its lack of clear compliance guidelines for schools. The judge noted that the risk of federal funding loss could harm institutions , leading to censorship of DEI discussions. U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty granted a preliminary injunction request from a teacher labor union and another educational organization to block the Education Department’s recent “ Dear Colleague Letter ” (DCL), which directed schools to cease DEI programs. The injunction enjoins ...