Judge Blocks Education Department From Cutting $250 Million in Grants

The federal judge sided with the eight states challenging the cuts, saying the Education Department must hold off for 14 days.

The Department of Education in Washington on July 16, 2019. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Department of Education’s attempt to cancel an estimated $250 million in teacher-training grants.

In an order issued Monday, U.S. District Judge Myong Joun of Massachusetts sided with eight Democrat-led states challenging the cuts, saying that the Department of Education must restore the status quo for 14 days while both sides make their cases.

The lawsuit centers on the fate of two programs: the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) and Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED), which Congress established in 2008 and 2011, respectively. These initiatives were designed to address teacher shortages in rural and urban areas, as well as encourage college students in STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and math—to pursue careers in K-12 education.

Last month, the Education Department cut these grants as part of a broader effort to cancel approximately $600 million in funding for educator training programs that promote “divisive ideologies.” The department has justified the cuts as necessary to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order, which prohibits taxpayer money from going to fund diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

According to the department, the defunded programs had been used to train future educators in “inappropriate and unnecessary topics,” such as critical race theory—a set of ideas that racism is deeply embedded in the culture and institutions of society; DEI; and social justice activism. Some of them also incorporated race-based teacher recruitment and staffing strategies.

As for TQP and SEED, a termination letter sent to grant recipients outlined several potential justifications for the cuts, stating that the affected programs may have taken part in DEI initiatives; violated federal civil rights law; conflicted with the department’s policy of “prioritizing merit, fairness, and excellence in education”; been subject to fraud, abuse, or duplication; or otherwise failed to “serve the best interests of the United States.”

In their complaint, the eight states argue that the Education Department failed to provide a clear and specific reason for terminating TQP and SEED grants, instead offering only vague references to its policy priorities.

They also contend that the abrupt cancellations have disrupted teacher workforce pipelines, forced them to rely on underqualified educators, and destabilized local education systems.

Joun agreed, ruling that the department’s decision lacked a clear explanation. He also found that the states were entitled to preliminary relief, noting that teacher training programs were already being canceled and staff members laid off in states such as California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.

“The record shows that if I were to deny the [temporary restraining order], dozens of programs upon which public schools, public universities, students, teachers, and faculty rely will be gutted,” he wrote.

Based on a preliminary review of available evidence, Joun concluded that the states are likely to succeed on the merits of their claims.

The Education Department did not respond to a request for comment on the ruling.

The TQP and SEED cuts were the target of a separate federal lawsuit filed March 3 in Maryland by three teacher organizations. That lawsuit cited a Feb. 21 ruling from the same federal court in Maryland that blocked the Trump administration from terminating DEI-related federal contracts. The teacher groups argue that their grant awards fall under that injunction and should therefore be restored.