The Supreme Court lifted a lower court order on Friday that blocked the Trump administration from cutting millions of dollars in grants for teacher trainings as part of the president’s efforts to terminate taxpayer-funded diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
In a 5-4 decision, with Chief Justice John Roberts siding with the three liberal justices, the high court ruled that the Department of Education does not need to reinstate more than $65 million in grants that it terminated from a larger $600 million teacher preparation program as litigation plays out.
The unsigned majority opinion argued that it would be unlikely that the Trump administration would be able to recover the funds if it eventually wins its case in court, and that the eight states, led by California, suing the government would not suffer permanent harm without the money.
“The Government compellingly argues that respondents would not suffer irreparable harm while the TRO is stayed,” the opinion stated. “Respondents have represented in this litigation that they have the financial wherewithal to keep their programs running.”
“So, if respondents ultimately prevail, they can recover any wrongfully withheld funds through suit in an appropriate forum.”
The undoing of the Massachusetts federal court’s temporary restraining order marks President Trump’s first win at the Supreme Court in his second term.
The Trump administration lost two prior emergency appeals to the Supreme Court in different cases, where the Justice Department has argued that lower-court judges have improperly obstructed Trump’s agenda.
In the teacher training case, the Trump administration sought relief from the Supreme Court after a federal appeals court in Boston denied its petition.
US District Judge Myong Joun blocked the Trump administration from terminating the grants to the eight states that filed suit last month.
The Biden-appointed judge ruled that the Trump administration did not properly explain how the grants violated Trump executive order on DEI.
The Trump administration maintains the taxpayer-funded programs “promote or take part in DEI initiatives or other initiatives that unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or another protected characteristic.”
In dissent, Justice Elena Kagan argued that the Trump administration failed to ”defend the legality of canceling the education grants at issue here.”
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in a separate opinion, wrote, “It is beyond puzzling that a majority of Justices conceive of the government’s application as an emergency.”
