A federal judge on Monday ruled that the Trump administration’s canceling of federal health grants over their connections to “gender ideology” and “diversity, equity, and inclusion” was unlawful and void.
U.S. District Court Judge William Young, a Reagan appointee, ruled on Monday that targeting research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) based on certain topics was unlawful and arbitrary. The federal government has been directed to immediately make the funds available to grant recipients again.
In February, the NIH issued directives terminating grants relating to LGBTQ issues; gender identity; and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
In response, several organizations including the American Public Health Association (APHA), the American Civil Liberties Union, Ibis Reproductive Health and others sued to reverse the directives.
“The ideologically motivated directives to terminate grants alleged to constitute DEI, ‘gender ideology,’ or other forbidden topics were, in fact, arbitrary and capricious, and have now been ruled unlawful,” said Peter G. Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and a plaintiff in the case.
“We’re certainly very pleased with the judge’s decision, and actually the way he portrayed it as, you know, discrimination. I think that’s pure and simple, that the administration was trying to undermine the health and well-being of these populations,” Georges Benjamin, executive director of the APHA, told The Hill.
The federal government plans to appeal or halt Young’s ruling.
“HHS stands by its decision to end funding for research that prioritized ideological agendas over scientific rigor and meaningful outcomes for the American people,” Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement.
“Under the leadership of Secretary Kennedy and the Trump administration, HHS is committed to ensuring that taxpayer dollars support programs rooted in evidence-based practices and gold standard science— not driven by divisive DEI mandates or gender ideology,” he added.
Based on what the Trump administration has done in response to other rulings blocking or reversing its actions, Benjamin has concerns the White House will find ways to circumvent the ruling.
“Spigots have been turned back on, but this administration has tried to find ways to slow things down, kind of put barriers in the way of getting the dollars out the door,” said Benjamin. “Just watch what the administration does with their left hand when they’re doing something with their right. They’ve been pretty sneaky about trying to find ways to get around judges’ rules.”
