Supreme Court Rules for Trump on Canceled Teacher Grants

The Supreme Court overturned a Massachusetts District Court ruling that required the Trump administration to restore millions in previously terminated professional development grants for K-12 teachers and college faculty members, Law 360 and other media outlets reported. The decision marks the president’s first major win in what is likely to be a series of cases regarding the executive branch’s power.

The 5-to-4 decision vacated a temporary restraining order that required the Department of Education to reinstate the canceled grant funding to California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Wisconsin. The grants were first terminated in early February after the Education Department said the programs ran afoul of the president’s executive orders banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs. (This is one of at least two lawsuits challenging the teacher training grant cancellations.)

Justices behind the majority opinion say the district court lacked the jurisdiction under the Administrative Procedure Act to issue the temporary restraining order. They suggested that the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, which handles contract-related cases, would have been better suited. 

Additionally, the states failed to counter the Department of Education’s argument that if the temporary restraining order continued and funds were allocated, there would be no way to recover them should the order at any point be lifted. 

“By contrast, the government compellingly argues that respondents would not suffer irreparable harm while the TRO is stayed,” the order states. “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. And if respondents instead decline to keep the programs operating, then any ensuing irreparable harm would be of their own making.”

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented.

For more information on this case and others, check out Inside Higher Ed’s lawsuit tracker.