Feb 5, 2025 Story by: Editor
The city of Baltimore, along with three advocacy groups, filed a lawsuit on Monday, February 3, against the U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration, urging a federal court to block and declare unconstitutional two executive orders aimed at dismantling diversity initiatives.
On his first two days in office, Trump issued orders to eliminate federal support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, imposing economic penalties and job dismissals as enforcement measures.
The lawsuit, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, argues that these orders exceed presidential authority under the U.S. Constitution. It seeks both preliminary and permanent injunctions to prevent their enforcement and to have them deemed unlawful and unconstitutional.
“In the United States, there is no king,” states the lawsuit, which was jointly filed by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Association of University Professors, the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, and the mayor and city council of Baltimore.
The suit names Trump as a defendant alongside nine government departments, their cabinet officials, the National Science Foundation, and the Office of Management and Budget.
When asked for comment, the White House referred Reuters to the Justice Department, which did not immediately respond to the request.
During his campaign, Trump pledged to eliminate programs that assist women and ethnic minorities in securing government jobs and contracts, arguing that such policies unfairly disadvantage more qualified candidates.
However, civil rights and equality advocates maintain that these programs are crucial for addressing historical discrimination in a nation where women and African Americans only gained legal equality in the 20th century and still face disparities in wages and opportunities.
“In his crusade to erase diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility from our country, President Trump cannot usurp Congress’s exclusive power of the purse, nor can he silence those who disagree with him by threatening them with the loss of federal funds and other enforcement action,” the lawsuit asserts.
Trump’s executive order, issued on Jan. 20, revoked Biden-era diversity policies and called for the dismissal of federal employees involved in DEI efforts, directing agencies to “terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and ‘environmental justice’ offices and positions.” The Jan. 21 order extended these measures beyond federal agencies, targeting publicly traded companies, large nonprofit organizations, foundations, state and local bar and medical associations, and university endowments in an effort to deter them from continuing diversity programs. Source: Reuters
