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Federal Funding Civil Rights Act Educational Institutions

Littler

Federal Court Invalidates DOE’s Title VI Guidance—Key Implications for DEI Compliance

Littler on

On August 14, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland issued a significant decision in American Federation of Teachers v. U.S. Department of Education, holding that the Department’s demand that states and...more

Miles & Stockbridge P.C.

DOJ Issues New Guidance on DEI and Federal Funding Compliance

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently issued new guidance aimed at clarifying the current administration’s stance on the permissibility of diversity, equity and inclusion policies and procedures under federal...more

Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP

The Bondi Memo: How These Guiding Principles May Influence Your Approach to Scholarship Design and Oversight

By Elizabeth Manchester and Kelley O’Donnell On July 29, 2025, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a sweeping memorandum titled “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination,” which...more

Offit Kurman

New DOJ Memo Addresses Legality of DEI Programs for Federal Funding Recipients

Offit Kurman on

On July 30, 2025, the Department of Justice released a memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi offering guidance to federal agencies and recipients of federal funding regarding practices that the administration views as...more

Mayer Brown

DOJ Defines “Illegal DEI,” Warns Recipients of Federal Funds to Take Notice

Mayer Brown on

On July 29, 2025, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination (the “Guidance”). Following the creation of the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative by the...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

DOJ’s Roadmap for Federally Funded Entities and DEI

Ballard Spahr LLP on

Entities receiving federal funds, including educational institutions, state and local governments, and public and private employers, must ensure that their programs and activities comply with federal law and do not...more

Foster Swift Collins & Smith

DEIA Executive Orders and the Consequences for Educational Institutions

On January 21, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14173: Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunities (“EO 14173”). EO 14173 aims to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) and...more

Venable LLP

Legal Showdown: Harvard and Trump Administration Spar Over Alleged Federal Civil Rights Violations, Federal Funding Freeze

Venable LLP on

Since President Trump's return to office in January, his administration has intensified efforts to combat antisemitism on college campuses, positioning the issue as a central pillar of its civil rights agenda....more

Vinson & Elkins LLP

Justice Department’s “Civil Rights Fraud Initiative” Increases False Claims Act Risks Related to Alleged Discrimination

Vinson & Elkins LLP on

On May 19, 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memorandum announcing the creation of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Fraud Initiative (the Initiative), which directs DOJ attorneys to utilize the...more

Williams Mullen

Institutions of Higher Education Face Increased Exposure to False Claims Act Violations

Williams Mullen on

On May 19, 2025, the Department of Justice announced the establishment of a Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, created to enforce the False Claims Act (FCA) “against those who defraud the United States by taking its money while...more

Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP

False Claims Act Reimagined: DOJ Pursues Civil Rights Fraud in Higher Education and Government Contracts

On May 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) unveiled the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, a new enforcement strategy aimed at leveraging the False Claims Act to hold colleges, universities, government contractors, and...more

A&O Shearman

DOJ Announces Civil Rights Fraud Initiative Targeting Federal Fund Recipients’ Use Of DEI

A&O Shearman on

On May 19, 2025, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced its plan to use the False Claims Act to investigate and pursue claims of civil rights violations against federal fund recipients. The plan, entitled the Civil...more

Husch Blackwell LLP

DOJ’s Plan to Use the False Claims Act to Address Civil Rights Fraud

Husch Blackwell LLP on

According to a memorandum issued on May 19, 2025, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) will use the False Claims Act as a tool to enforce federal civil rights laws. The new policy memo has serious potential implications for...more

Baker Donelson

DOJ Expands DEI Crackdown with New Civil Rights Fraud Initiative Centered on False Claims Act Enforcement

Baker Donelson on

In our prior client alert, we examined the growing risk that the Department of Justice (DOJ) would deploy the False Claims Act (FCA) to pursue entities that receive federal funds and operate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion...more

White & Case LLP

DOJ Launches Civil Rights Fraud Initiative by Leveraging the False Claims Act: What Federal Fund Recipients Should Know

White & Case LLP on

On May 19, 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the Department of Justice’s launch of a sweeping Civil Rights Fraud Initiative designed to hold federal contractors, grant recipients, and other federally funded...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

The False Claims Act Enters the School Zone

Troutman Pepper Locke on

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

Fisher Phillips

New Civil Rights Fraud Initiative Puts More Pressure on Higher Ed and K-12 Schools Receiving Federal Funding: What to Do in...

Fisher Phillips on

Federal officials on Monday launched a new Civil Rights Fraud Initiative aimed at schools receiving federal funding, the next step in the Trump administration’s aggressive enforcement posture against transgender rights, DEI,...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

DOJ Announces New Initiative Aimed at Entities Receiving Federal Funds; Specifically Targets Higher Ed

Ballard Spahr LLP on

On May 19, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced via a memo titled “Civil Rights Fraud Initiative” (the Memo) an initiative to use the False Claims Act (FCA) against federal contractors and recipients of federal funds...more

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

DOJ Civil Rights Fraud Initiative Signals Expansive Enforcement Threat for Employers Receiving Federal Funds

On May 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) launched its Civil Rights Fraud Initiative. This is a coordinated enforcement effort aimed at using the False Claims Act (FCA) to investigate and, where appropriate,...more

Foley Hoag LLP

DOJ Formalizes Plan to Use False Claims Act to Enforce “Civil Rights Fraud”

Foley Hoag LLP on

Key Takeaways: - The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced the creation of a new initiative focused on using the False Claims Act (“FCA”) to pursue “Civil Rights Fraud.” - DOJ warned FCA claims could arise when a...more

Saul Ewing LLP

Harvard University Sues Trump Administration Over Federal Funding Freeze

Saul Ewing LLP on

Harvard University has filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s decision to freeze more than $2 billion in federal grants and contracts benefitting Harvard. The funding freeze came after Harvard refused a list...more

Miller Canfield

Executive Order to Close the Department of Education: What It Means for Your School

Miller Canfield on

On March 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order (“EO”) titled “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities,” directing the Secretary of Education to undertake all...more

Fisher Phillips

Will My School Face Investigation? Feds Announce Race-Based Investigations Into 52 Higher Education Institutions

Fisher Phillips on

A federal civil rights agency just announced that it will be investigating more than 50 higher ed institutions to determine whether they violated federal law by making race-based decisions in their graduate and scholarship...more

Franczek P.C.

Week in Review – Major Announcement from the Department of Education, Continued Agency Changes, and More DEI Related Actions

Franczek P.C. on

Headlines this week largely focused on the Department of Education, and rightfully so. As announced on Tuesday, President Trump’s administration terminated over 1,300 Department of Education employees this week – nearly 50%...more

Fisher Phillips

So You’re Concerned About Losing Federal Funding: 3 Things Schools Should Do Right Now

Fisher Phillips on

Many K-12 and institutes of higher education are concerned about the potential threat to their federal funding given recent changes to the way the government is interpreting existing federal law to achieve certain policy...more

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