Alert
The U.S. Supreme Court has approved the Trump Administration’s application to terminate $65 million in diversity-related teacher training education grants amid an ongoing legal battle.
On April 4, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a per curiam decision granting the Trump Administration’s request to terminate more than 100 federal teacher-training grants totaling $65 million. This decision effectively halted the enforcement of the District Court’s temporary restraining order (TRO). The case, Department of Education v. California (Docket No. 24A910), has garnered significant attention due to its implications for federal education grants and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Eight states, led by California, sued, arguing that the U.S. Department of Education had violated federal administrative law.
Background
The case originated from a decision by the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. On March 10, 2025, the District Court issued a TRO preventing the U.S. Department of Education from terminating various education-related grants. The court also mandated the government “to pay past-due grant obligations and continue paying future obligations.”1
Key Dates and Proceedings:2
- March 10, 2025: The District Court issued the TRO, enjoining the U.S. Department of Education from terminating the grants.
- March 24, 2025: The District Court extended the TRO.
- March 26, 2025: The U.S. Department of Education filed an application to vacate the District Court’s order. This application was submitted to Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
- March 28, 2025: Responses to the application were filed, including an amicus brief from the National Center for Learning Disabilities.
- March 31, 2025: The U.S. Department of Education filed a reply to the responses.
- April 4, 2025: The Supreme Court granted the U.S. Department of Education’s application to stay the District Court’s order pending appeal.
Supreme Court’s Ruling
In a per curiam decision, the Supreme Court granted the stay, effectively halting the enforcement of the District Court’s TRO. The Court found that the respondents had not sufficiently countered the government’s argument that it would be “unlikely to recover the grant funds once they are disbursed.” In addition, the Court determined that the respondents would not suffer irreparable harm while the TRO was stayed.
The U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 to grant the Trump administration’s request to terminate more than 100 federal teacher-training grants. The case involves two grant programs aimed at addressing the national teacher shortage, which were canceled due to diversity and equity training materials.3
The stay will remain in effect pending the disposition of the appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and any subsequent petition for a writ of certiorari. If certiorari is denied, the stay will terminate automatically. If certiorari is granted, the stay will terminate upon the sending down of the Supreme Court’s judgment.4
The team at Forvis Mazars will continue to monitor legislative updates related to this case. For more information or questions, please reach out to one of our professionals.
- 1 Department of Education v. California | 604 U.S. ___ (2025) | Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center
- 2Department of Education v. California | 604 U.S. ___ (2025) | Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center
- 3Department of Education v. California - SCOTUSblog
- 4Department of Education v. California | 604 U.S. ___ (2025) | Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center