Trump appointee deals legal blow to the president

[Joshua Wilburn]

By: MEGA

A federal judge struck down two Trump administration directives that sought to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in U.S. schools and universities. U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2019, ruled that the Department of Education (DOE) acted unlawfully when it threatened to withhold federal funding from institutions that continued DEI initiatives.

Trump-appointed judge​

By: MEGA

The decision marks the second time in a week that a Trump-appointed judge ruled against the administration’s efforts. President Trump has made rolling back DEI initiatives a central pillar of his political agenda, extending beyond the federal government to private universities and law firms. His administration has warned institutions that failure to comply with his mandates could result in the loss of federal funding or government contracts. However, Trump’s directives have faced pushback across the judiciary, including from judges he himself appointed. Opponents of the measures argued they exceeded executive authority, lacked congressional approval or violated existing laws.

Gallagher’s ruling​

By: MEGA

Gallagher’s ruling stemmed from a lawsuit brought in February by the American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association. The case challenged two DOE memos that directed schools to end all “race-based decision-making” or risk losing funding. The administration claimed such policies discriminated against white and Asian American students. In her opinion, Gallagher ordered the DOE to withdraw its guidance, ruling it failed to meet procedural requirements. “It initiated a sea change in how the Department of Education regulates educational practices and classroom conduct, causing millions of educators to reasonably fear that their lawful, and even beneficial, speech might cause them or their schools to be punished,” she wrote.

DEI policies​

By: MEGA

While Gallagher stressed that she was not evaluating whether DEI policies were “good or bad, prudent or foolish, fair or unfair,” she concluded the government had overstepped its authority. She also rejected the administration’s defense that the memos merely reminded schools that discrimination is illegal. Gallagher herself is named in a separate lawsuit the Trump administration filed earlier this year against the entire federal bench in Maryland. That suit, which seeks to overturn an order blocking the immediate deportation of certain migrants, is being overseen by U.S. District Judge Thomas Cullen of Virginia, who has expressed “skepticism” about the case but has not yet ruled.

Trump vs. DEI​

By: MEGA

Gallagher’s decision followed another setback for the administration a week earlier, when U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, also a Trump appointee, found the government improperly withheld tens of millions in congressionally approved funding from the National Endowment for Democracy. The rulings underscore mounting judicial resistance to Trump’s expansive efforts to reshape education and governance through executive action.

The post Trump appointee deals legal blow to the president appeared first on Knewz.

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