Feb. 21, 2025
Dear Colleagues,
Today, a federal court issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against the provisions of President Trump’s harmful anti-DEI Executive Orders, in the lawsuit spearheaded by NADOHE. This decision is a critical step in safeguarding the essential work of diversity officers and higher education institutions committed to fostering inclusive excellence. The court emphasized that “ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion has long been a goal, and at least in some contexts arguably a requirement, of federal anti-discrimination law.”
The court ordered that the Trump Administration shall not:
- Pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, terminate or change the terms of any current awards, contracts or obligations;
- Require any grantee or contractor to make any “certification” or other representation regarding whether they promote DEI; or
- Bring any False Claims Act enforcement action, or other enforcement action under the anti-DEI Executive Orders.
Today’s ruling marks a significant legal victory in our fight to protect our work.
We deeply appreciate those NADOHE members who have shared their experiences with us. The court’s decision cited those experiences in ruling that NADOHE “easily established [its] standing to bring this case and irreparable harm.” Your voices continue to be instrumental in demonstrating the harm caused by these Executive Orders. Please reach out to president@nadohe.org if you have additional information or stories to share.
If you would like to learn more about the next steps in our legal efforts and insights into this ruling, we invite you to join us at our Annual Conference, March 5-8, where we will have a session with our Democracy Forward colleagues.
Thank you for your unwavering commitment to this work. Today’s ruling is a testament to our collective strength and dedication to ensuring that inclusive excellence remains a cornerstone of higher education.
Sincerely,
Paulette Granberry Russell, J.D.
President and CEO
NADOHE