The Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to terminate Education Department grants for teacher training that they deemed to violate their new policy opposing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The decision, made in a 5-4 ruling, blocks a lower court’s ruling that said the administration had failed to follow the correct legal process in terminating the grants. This marks President Trump’s first win at the Supreme Court in his second term.
The grants in question, totaling $65 million, were awarded under two different programs aimed at teacher quality and effective educator development. The Department of Education found that these grants violated Trump’s executive order to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that they felt discriminated unlawfully based on protected characteristics.
A lawsuit was filed by eight states on behalf of entities receiving the grants, arguing that the decision violated federal law. However, the Supreme Court majority ultimately sided with the Trump administration, stating that the district court judge did not have authority to order the funds to be paid under the Administrative Procedure Act.
Chief Justice John Roberts joined the three liberal justices in dissent, with Justice Elena Kagan stating that the grant recipients faced irreparable harm if the funds were withheld. The decision only affects grants issued to entities in the suing states, with the Department of Education canceling a total of $600 million in grants for teacher training. This ruling represents a step forward for the Trump administration, which had previously faced setbacks in emergency applications to the Supreme Court.
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