From New England News Collab 2/5/2026
The Trump administration said this week it is abandoning plans to withhold federal money from New Hampshire schools if they have diversity and equity programs.
The announcement came in response to a federal lawsuit filed a year ago by New Hampshire’s largest teachers union and four New Hampshire public school districts. In that case, the national ACLU and ACLU of New Hampshire challenged the Trump administration’s DEI ban as a violation of the free speech rights of teachers and students.
Federal Judge Landya McCafferty temporarily blocked the ban in April while the parties litigated the case.
Tuesday night, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an agreement with the national and local chapters of the National Education Association and school districts, saying it would no longer enforce the federal DEI restrictions in New Hampshire. It did not say why, but pointed to a similar legal challenge in Maryland. In that case, the Department of Justice agreed last month to drop enforcement of the ban in Maryland without explanation.
In exchange, the New Hampshire teachers union and school districts agreed to drop their case.
Read more: https://www.nenc.news/2026-02-05/trump-school-dei-lawsuit-nh-aclu-teachers-union