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Hogan Lovells

Attorney General Bondi issues memorandum regarding “unlawful discrimination,” with particular focus on higher education...

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On July 29, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a Memorandum to all Federal Agencies (“Memorandum”) with “guidance for recipients of federal funding regarding unlawful discrimination.” The guidance says it “clarif[ies]”...more

Ice Miller

Anti-DEI Enforcement Takes Shape: DOJ and States Apply New Vision of Civil Rights

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At the beginning of the second Trump administration, the President and Attorney General Pam Bondi indicated they would use the levers of government to end DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies and programs. The...more

Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP

Higher Ed: New Lawsuit Challenges Federal Grant Program for Hispanic-Serving Institutions

A new lawsuit will test the legality of grant programs of the U.S. Department of Education for colleges and universities, charging that these programs unlawfully discriminate based on race or ethnicity....more

Wiley Rein LLP

DOJ Civil Rights Fraud Initiative Targets "Illegal DEI" Programs via the False Claims Act

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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the creation of the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative in a Memorandum issued on May 19, 2025. According to the Memorandum, the Initiative is an enforcement effort that will use the...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

The False Claims Act Enters the School Zone

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On May 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the launch of a Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, which will use the False Claims Act (FCA) as a basis for investigating the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)...more

Lowenstein Sandler LLP

The Future of the False Claims Act

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On May 19, 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memorandum titled Civil Rights Fraud Initiative announcing the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) plan to use the False Claims Act (FCA) to “aggressively” pursue...more

ArentFox Schiff

DOJ Announces Plan to Use the FCA to Tackle DEI

ArentFox Schiff on

On May 19, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a novel use of the False Claims Act (FCA) to enforce Trump Administration policies against antisemitism, gender identity and expression, and diversity, equity, and...more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Trump EO Tracker)

States the policy of the Administration to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in fostering more and better opportunities in higher education and ensuring college-educated Americans are empowered to...more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

New Administration Outlook: How Educational Institutions Can Navigate the Attack on DEI

As the entire public and private sector adjust to the Trump Administration's attack on programs focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion ("DEI"), colleges and universities are in a difficult position. Like federal...more

Fisher Phillips

No Slowing Down: Employers’ Recap of the Trump Administration’s First 50 Days

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While new presidents are typically judged based on their actions in their first 100 days, the current Trump administration has moved at such a rapid speed that we think another recap is needed at the halfway point. Here’s...more

Quarles & Brady LLP

Office for Civil Rights Issues “Dear Colleague” Letter Aimed At Curbing Race-Based Decisions and Benefits At Federally Funded...

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On Friday, February 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) issued a “Dear Colleague” letter advising federally funded schools that it considers any decisions or benefits based on race,...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

U.S. Department of Education Issues ‘Dear Colleague’ Letter That Reflects an Expansion of Title VI Under Students for Fair...

Overview of the Dear Colleague Letter On February 14, 2025, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education (ED or the Department) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) regarding the nondiscrimination...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

OCR’s Directive on Race-Conscious Policies in Higher Education

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On February 14, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (DOE) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), which calls for educational institutions to immediately cease race-conscious practices in student...more

Saul Ewing LLP

Department of Education’s February 14 Dear Colleague Letter on Title VI and Equal Protection: Overview, Open Issues, and...

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INTRODUCTION - On February 14, 2025, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (the “Assistant Secretary”) at the United States Department of Education (the “Department”) circulated a Dear Colleague Letter (the “DCL”)...more

Morgan Lewis

US Department of Education Issues Sweeping Guidance on Race-Conscious Practices By Academic Institutions

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The US Department of Education’s (the Department’s) Office for Civil Rights issued a sweeping “Dear Colleague” letter on February 14, 2025 outlining a new zero-tolerance policy for the consideration of race in any regard by...more

Husch Blackwell LLP

U.S. Department of Education Releases Dear Colleague Letter Addressing the Use of Race in Education, Announces Enforcement...

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On February 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) concerning discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in K-12 and higher education. The DCL articulates the...more

Smith Anderson

WHITE PAPER | The DEI Executive Orders: Considerations for Assessing and Addressing Private Employer and Federal Contractor...

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Following the inauguration, President Trump issued a series of Executive Orders addressing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ("DEI") and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility ("DEIA") in employment that impact federal...more

Woods Rogers

Dear Colleague: Watch Out

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In a tersely worded “Dear Colleague” letter dated February 14, 2025 (pdf), the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) signaled its intent to combat “pervasive and repugnant race-based preferences and...more

Cooley LLP

Attorney General Issues Memorandum on Ending ‘Illegal’ DEI and DEIA Policies – Now What? 

Cooley LLP on

On February 5, 2025, US Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memorandum titled Ending Illegal DEI and DEIA Discrimination and Preferences (memo or directive). The memo came down as part of Bondi’s[KZ1] 14 “first-day”...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

The Opening Act: Significant Developments in Trump’s First Two Weeks

During the first two weeks in office, President Donald Trump’s administration released many policies impacting employers in areas like immigration, labor, and workplace safety, and reshaping federal regulatory and enforcement...more

Saul Ewing LLP

President Trump’s Executive Order on “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” – Overview, Open...

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OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION - On January 21, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”, EO 14173....more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Impact of Recent Executive Orders Regarding DEI and Affirmative Action in Higher Education

On January 21, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” In addition to affecting government programs, federal contractors and federal...more

Warner Norcross + Judd

Trump’s Day 1 Immigration and DEI Executive Orders: What They Mean for Higher Education and International Students

The new administration under President Donald Trump has moved quickly to reshape U.S. immigration policy. On Day 1, the president signed several executive orders that significantly alter prior policies, and these changes...more

Latham & Watkins LLP

Key Insights on Executive Order Directing Scrutiny of Private-Sector DEI Efforts

Latham & Watkins LLP on

On January 21, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” (the Order) directing federal agencies to enforce federal civil rights laws to...more

Littler

Higher Ed DEI Practices to Be Reviewed Under President’s New Executive Order

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President Trump issued an executive order on January 21, 2025 that, among other things, revokes Executive Order 11246, ending the long-standing practice of requiring federal government contractors to take and report on...more

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