States ask justices to restore teacher training funds
EMERGENCY DOCKET
Eight states, led by California, urged the Supreme Court on Friday to leave in place an order by a federal judge in Massachusetts that requires the Department of Education to restore more than $65 million in grants intended to address teacher shortages. The grants were terminated last February because they funded programs promoting diversity equity and inclusion. (Erik Cox Photography via Shutterstock)
Eight states, led by California, on Friday urged the Supreme Court to leave in place an order by a federal judge in Massachusetts that requires the Department of Education to restore more than $65 million in grants, intended to address teacher shortages, that it ended in February because the funded programs included diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
In a 40-page filing, the states told the justices that there was no reason for them to intervene. The states claim that the district judge acted responsibly by entering a time-limited restraining injunction to preserve the status quo and quickly adjudicate the state’s preliminary injunction request. As a result, the government can’t appeal the order. The Department of Education cancelled nearly all of the grant programs under the program in early February after reviewing them and finding “objectionable material” relating to DEI. They contended that universities and nonprofits in their states had received grants through the programs, and that the cancellation of the grants had violated the federal law governing administrative agencies.
U.S. The states argue that the federal government is wrong to suggest that if Joun’s order isn’t paused it will encourage groups to withdraw funds quickly, and that the government won’t be able recover them, even if it is reversed. The state noted that the order had been in effect for 18 days and that the Department had not provided any evidence that any recipients were trying to withdraw funds. The states concluded that “those concerns” are best litigated within the context of other cases.
