US court bars cuts to teacher training grants over DEI — The Hill
A federal judge in the United States ruled that the Department of Education may not cut funding for teacher training programs that the administration of President Donald Trump considered linked to “divisive ideologies.” The ruling by District Judge Angel Kelley was reported by The Hill.
The court’s assessment
Kelley found the Department of Education’s directive arbitrary and capricious because the agency did not explain its change in approach to the grants. Previously, these programs encouraged DEI initiatives — diversity, equity and inclusion.
The judge noted that the agency terminated grants over topics related, among other things, to acknowledging racism and anti-racism. In her view, these were measures aimed at countering discrimination. Kelley also drew attention to the directive’s impact on the training of educators.
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Grant cuts
In February 2025, the U.S. Department of Education planned to cut approximately $600 million in grant funding under the Teacher Quality Partnership and Supporting Effective Educator Development programs.
In 2025, the agency stated that the cuts concerned programs focused on critical race theory, DEI, social justice, anti-racism, “white privilege,” and “white supremacy.” Among the applications to which the department objected was one requiring specialists to take personal and institutional responsibility for systemic inequality, including racism, and to critically reassess their own practice.
Democrat-controlled states filed a lawsuit against the cuts. A federal court had previously suspended the directive, but in April 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the department to continue the cuts while the case was being considered. The Hill contacted the Department of Education for comment.
