On January 6, 2026, a federal judge ordered the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to halt anti-DEI requirements and layoffs nationwide, citing an ‘impossible situation’ for providers. The federal judge in Washington state temporarily blocked actions taken by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last…
A December 19, 2025 federal judge ruling ordered the permanent reinstatement of U.S. Department of Education (USDE) mental health grants in 16 states. According to the ruling in State of Washington v. U.S. Department of Education, the April 2025 cancellation of the school-based and professional development funding was unlawful. At…
On December 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced its plan to join a lawsuit against Virginia’s Loudoun County School Board for alleged religious discrimination after two Christian high school boys were suspended for complaining about a transgender student in their locker room. The case, S.W. et al.…
On December 8, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Little v. Llano County, a Texas case that could have decided the constitutionality of book bans in public libraries. Thus, the justices left in place a lower court ruling allowing state and local governments to make decisions on book…
As a result of a November 18, 2025 announcement by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) that said it was developing interagency agreements with other federal agencies to support six programs, an amended lawsuit was filed on December 2, 2025 claiming that the USDE’s plans are illegal and harmful to…
On October 27, 2025, a federal judge ordered the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to reinstate, for now, canceled federal grants for student mental health services due to “numerous irreparable harms flowing from the discontinuation decisions." In June 2025, 16 states sued the USDE in after the Trump administration in…
On Monday, October 6, 2025. the U.S, Supreme Court will begin its new session and important K-12 cases will once again be heard. With a Title IX case on its docket for this term the justices are expected to impact student civil rights issues, particularly in West Virginia v. B.P.J.,…
According to a September 29th ruling by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) can move forward with plans to cut half of its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) staff as litigation against the reductions proceeds. The decision overturns a lower court’s order requiring…
Statewide universal school meal programs are experiencing financial strain as state legislatures struggle to keep up with the unexpected demand from students eating free meals. According to the Food Research & Action Center, nine states implement their own universal school meal programs. Those states are California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan,…
In June 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court (Court) ruled to restrict gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. In that case, the Court’s decision said a person’s identification as “transgender” is distinct from their “biological sex.” It did not touch on whether discrimination against transgender people amounts to sex-based discrimination. However,…
