[Update, 3/3/26] An article in Inside Higher Ed on February 20 highlighted a recent US Department of Education announcement, "31 Colleges Agree to End Partnerships With PhD Project." Although the headline focus is on one particular nonprofit organization, which ED claims "unlawfully limits eligibility based on the race of participants," the IHE article notes, "Documents obtained by The Washington Post and a story published by the paper prior to ED’s announcement further reinforced that the terms of the agreement extend well beyond cutting ties with the PhD Project. Before the department’s announcement, the Post reported that colleges under investigation had already ended partnerships with 'a range of organizations associated with racial minority groups,' showing the broader reach of OCR’s push against the PhD Project."

[Original post, 1/24/26] “Education Secretary Linda McMahon and her legal team have dropped their appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked the department from requiring colleges to eradicate all race-based curriculum, financial aid and student services or lose federal funding.” Inside Higher Ed 1/22/26

A coalition of advocacy groups, including the American Sociological Association, had filed suit against the Department of Education’s February 2025 guidance. On behalf of the coalition, Democracy Forward announced, “Major Victory for Public Education Comes As Trump-Vance Administration Abandons Appeal on ‘Dear Colleague Letter’” (1/21/26) “Today marks a final defeat in the Trump-Vance administration’s attempt to require school districts throughout the nation to censor lessons, abandon student support programs, and certify their compliance with the administration’s unlawful interpretation of civil rights. In 2025, the U.S. District Court for Maryland ruled in favor of a coalition of nationwide associations of educators and a public school district, represented by Democracy Forward, that had challenged the administration actions in American Federation of Teachers et al v. U.S. Department of Education et al. The government filed a notice today withdrawing its appeal of the district court’s final judgment, finalizing the invalidation of the government’s actions.”

In a message to members, ASA Executive Director Heather Washington said, “This victory reaffirms the essential work sociologists and educators do every day—building classrooms and communities where every student feels supported, motivated to learn, and encouraged to explore complex social realities with honesty, curiosity, and intellectual rigor. The ruling enables educators in our discipline and beyond to continue providing accurate instruction that fosters students’ academic and personal growth, helping them become thoughtful, informed community members.”

For context on actions affecting ED during 2025, see our 2025 resources page, which has now been archived.