The teachers’ union filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to stop a Trump Administration policy that would deny federal funding to schools that teach about systemic racism and other topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
The lawsuit was filed by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the American Sociological Association in Maryland federal court. It asked the judge to declare that the policy is unconstitutional and prevent federal officials from enforcing it. This directive had been laid out in an Education Department memo dated February 14.
AFT is a union that represents over a million teachers. The lawsuit is the most recent legal challenge to the executive orders of President Donald Trump that seek to end DEI in the federal government and private sector.
Trump and his Republican supporters claim that DEI programs discriminate against men and women of color and are anti-merit. Rights groups claim that they uplift marginalized populations by addressing historical inequalities.
The lawsuit alleged that the Education Department directive would hinder equal access to education and have “devastating effects” on schools. It said this by denying opportunities for students to “hone critical thinking skills and broaden their worldview”.
Randi Weingarten, AFT president, said that “this vague and unconstitutional memorandum is a grave assault on students and our profession as well as knowledge itself.”
White House representatives didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry for comment.
The Trump administration is facing several other lawsuits that challenge a January 20th executive order revoking government DEI policies and ending what they claim are illegal hiring preferences and discrimination.
In one case, a federal court judge in Maryland temporarily stopped the White House on Friday from implementing DEI bans at federal agencies and businesses that contract with the federal government.
