A US District Court judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to cancel an estimated $250 million in teacher training grants nationwide, including significant cuts that affect students preparing for high schools in California.
Judge Myong J. Joun, of the U.S. District of Massachusetts, issued a temporary restraining order on Monday, urging the Trump administration to “quickly restore existing status quo before firing.”
The Trump administration had cancelled grants through the Department of Education, in conjunction with the so-called government efficiency led by billionaire Trump supporter Elon Musk, not government agencies.
When announcing the grant cuts on February 17, the Ministry of Education said the program would use taxpayer funds to “train teachers and educational institutions on inappropriate and unnecessary divisive ideologies.” I cited “critical racial theory.” Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI); Social Justice Activities; “anti-racism”; and Leadership on White Privilege and White Hegemony. ”
President Trump has pledged that schools and universities will “heart-heartedly” remove them and use federal funds as leverage. He also intends to dismantle the Ministry of Education, calling it a “big fraudulent job” that permeated “radicals, enthusiasts, Marxists” who misused taxpayer dollars.
Judge Joun sided with arguments laid out in complaints filed by California and seven other Democrat-led states.
Joun concluded that the federal lawsuit cancelling the grant based on a preliminary examination of available evidence was “arbitrarily, whimsical, and abuse of discretion” and “not complying with the law.”
“Based on my previous evidence now, I have discovered that the plaintiffs’ states are likely to succeed in the merits of their claim,” the judge wrote.
In cancelling the grant, the Trump administration sent a form letter citing a list of factors that may have contributed to the cancellation of the grant, according to the lawsuit.
These factors include programs that promote or participate in DEI initiatives and programs that violate the letters or purposes of the federal civil rights law. Conflicts with the department’s policy of prioritizing merit, fairness and excellence in education. No fraud, abuse or overlap. The letter cited in the judge’s order says that otherwise they will not be able to serve the greatest US interests.
Executives, including Trump, have made it clear that even if these elements are part of a contract requested and fully implemented in Congress, they are at risk of losing funds if they are in conflict with current administrative policies.
When issuing the order, the judge said, for example, “If the lawsuit was dependent on factors that Congress was not intending to consider, the case was illegally arbitrary and whimsical. [or] We were unable to fully consider important aspects of the issue. ”
In order for a judge to issue a temporary restraining order, jurists must also conclude that one side of the conflict will suffer irreparable harm. Judge Joun said the state met the criteria in their arguments and concluded that he cited the California program as an example.
“The end of funding for the program at California State University is aimed at developing highly qualified, community-centric teachers who can staff and support K-12 schools and students in Need or poor cities, particularly considering the area of special education, the judge wrote.
Additionally, the cancellation “suspended several months, if not the work required to implement these grant-dependent programs,” Joun concluded.
Joun complied with the federal government 24 hours a day.
Leaders of the Trump administration and the Department of Education did not immediately comment on the ruling. When the lawsuit was filed last week, a department spokesman said he would not comment on the pending lawsuit. However, at a hearing Monday, US Department of Justice attorney Michael Fitzgerald had alleged that the Education Department was within the right to cancel the grant, news agency Reuters reported.
Atty, California. General Rob Bonta called the ruling a significant preliminary victory.
“The Trump administration has recklessly and illegally terminated the grants that were awarded and mandated to K-12 teacher preparation programs in California and across the country, regardless of the teachers and students who pay the price,” Bonta said in a statement. “This includes the $8 million that the University of California and universities will be using between now and September, making sure the school is fall for teachers who need it. Today’s decision is a key early victory to ensure that these grants continue and our kids can get the passionate, qualified, and good teachers they deserve.”
The Department of Education cuts reached approximately $148 million in California and $122 million in other states sued: Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, Wisconsin and Colorado. Nationally, the total loss of funds was $600 million. Republican-led states did not file a lawsuit. Last week, three groups of teachers filed another complaint in federal court in Maryland.
The lawsuit maintains two Obama-era grant programs created to address teacher shortages in rural and urban areas, and seeks to encourage university students studying STEM subjects in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to receive an education in K-12 education. Grant applicants have also been evaluated in the past for their commitment to developing a diverse workforce by training teachers in underrepresented groups.
Among the cancelled programs are a $7.5 million grant from California State University, which trains and certifies 276 teachers over five years, working at Need or high-poverty schools in the Los Angeles Unified and Pasadena Unified School District. Under this program, teachers will focus on collaboration with students with disabilities and STEM subjects and bilingual education.
There is a shortage of around 400,000 teachers nationwide, including tens of thousands of jobs in California, according to the Palo Alto-based Institute for Learning Policy.
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