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This case is represented by Democracy Forward and led by the National Association of Diversity Officers of Higher Education \u2014 groups not new to taking legal action against the Trump administration for actions meant to suppress DEI.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n NADOHE also sued Trump<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> over <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>two January 2025 executive orders<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> which targeted public- and private-sector DEI. While a Maryland judge granted a preliminary injunction in that case in February 2025, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>reversed that decision<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> this past February, determining the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge a provision that directed agency heads to prepare a report that would work to combat \u201cillegal\u201d DEI programs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Trump\u2019s <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>March 26 executive order<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> directed executive departments and agencies to put a clause in federal contracts and subcontracts requiring these partners to agree they will \u201cnot engage in any racially discriminatory DEI activities\u201d or risk the cancellation of their contracts. Agency leaders have until July 24 to ensure compliance with the order.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAt its core, the executive order is a gag rule dressed up as a contract clause,\u201d Sarah von der Lippe, an attorney involved in the case, said in a <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Democracy Now press release<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> from April. \u201cIt demands minority-owned businesses trade their First Amendment right to speak about race and discrimination for fair access to federal contracts.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Other plaintiffs in the case are the American Association of University Professors; the United Academics of Maryland-University of Maryland, College Park; the National Association of Minority Contractors; and the NAMC, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia Chapter.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n