#WorkforceWednesday: The Ripple Effect of the Supreme Court’s SFFA Ruling for Diversity in the Workplace - Employment Law This Week®
Business Better Podcast Episode: Is DEI at Risk? Considerations on the US Supreme Court Ruling Against Affirmative Action Programs
Law Professor Ramsi Woodcock was suspended from teaching at the University of Kentucky (UK) and barred from campus for posting a “Petition for Military Action Against Israel” on a website he manages. Eli Capilouto, president...more
The Trump administration has demonstrated a commitment to enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws through novel and varied mechanisms not historically associated with enforcement of such laws, upending 60-plus years of...more
On July 29, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued updated guidance setting forth the administration’s position on how federal antidiscrimination laws—including Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and...more
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
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
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
The United States Department of Justice recently announced that it would begin “vigorous enforcement” of the False Claims Act against recipients of federal funds for their use of diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The...more
On April 3, 2025, the United States Department of Education (DOE) announced its intention to require state education agencies (SEAs) and school districts to certify that they are in compliance with Title VI of the 1964 Civil...more
It was another big week for the Department of Education, with President Trump signing an Executive Order on Thursday instructing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take actions to “close” the Department. President Trump’s...more
The US Department of Education (ED) recently announced two separate groups of enforcement investigations to assess university compliance with civil rights obligations. The first, announced on March 10, includes 60 colleges...more
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (the “Department”) announced that it has initiated two sets of investigations against dozens of universities for alleged violations of Title VI....more
Despite the issuance of a sweeping national federal court injunction against President Donald Trump’s January 20, 2025 and January 21, 2025 Executive Orders that seek to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”)...more
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) dispatched letters to 60 colleges and universities warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the...more
On Monday, March 3, Linda McMahon was confirmed by the Senate to serve as President Trump’s Secretary of the Department of Education by a vote of 51 to 45. Since President Trump’s inauguration, even without a confirmed...more
After giving educational institutions two weeks to comply with the Department of Education’s Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), on February 28, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) issued Frequently Asked Questions About Racial...more
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
Last week, the US Department of Education (ED) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) outlining the obligations of educational institutions pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and...more
On February 14, 2024, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the Department of Education (DOE) issued a “Dear Colleague” letter threatening the federal funding of any academic institution that considers race in any manner...more
On Feb. 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights issued a “Dear Colleague” Letter providing compliance guidelines to educational institutions receiving federal funding and subject to Title VI of the...more
On January 29, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order (EO) titled “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism,” escalating federal efforts to address antisemitism within institutions of higher education. A...more
On January 29, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order combatting antisemitism in the United States. The executive order required the Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) “immediate action…to protect law and order, quell...more
On January 14, 2025, the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a resolution agreement with the University of Washington following a Title VI complaint of alleged discrimination and harassment based...more
The U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a new resource that details its process for investigating retaliation claims and provides examples of cases it investigates. Released in...more
On March 28, 2024, four former Walden University students (“Plaintiffs”) filed a proposed settlement both individually and on behalf of a putative class of current and former Walden University (“Walden”) students with the...more
On May 4, 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a first-of-its-kind Title VI environmental justice interim resolution agreement with the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). The resolution follows an...more