Judge Blocks DOGE Cuts to Grants for Protected Groups
“Is this true? Judge Colleen McMahon just ruled that DOGE “blatantly used” race, gender, and other protected characteristics to carry out what she described as the largest mass termination of federal grants in National Endowment for the Humanities history. The court found DOGE staffers unlawfully used ChatGPT and DEI-related keywords to target grants involving Black civil-rights history, Holocaust survivors, Native American children, Asian American experiences, and women. The judge blocked the cuts, finding DOGE lacked the legal authority to make the decisions in the first place. In a powerful warning, Judge McMahon also said it was “deeply troubling” that Holocaust-related projects focused on Jewish women were targeted for elimination amid rising antisemitism. This is what happens when extremists with unchecked power weaponize ideology against education, history, and culture.”
Summary
A U.S. District Judge, Colleen McMahon, ruled that DOGE’s termination of NEH grants unlawfully used race, gender and other protected characteristics, violated the First Amendment and exceeded its statutory authority. The court blocked the cuts, noting DOGE lacked legal authority and had employed AI tools and DEI‑related criteria to target projects on Black civil‑rights history, Holocaust survivors, Native American children, Asian American experiences and women. The decision specifically highlighted the unconstitutional targeting of Holocaust‑related projects focused on Jewish women.
Sources 19 searched
- Fed Judge Rules DOGE Illegally and “Blatantly” Used DEI Terms to Cut Humanities Grants
The NEH cuts by DOGE staffers “blatantly used” race, gender, and other protections as part of their decision-making process, the ruling from U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon stated.
- DOGE Grant Cancellations Violated First Amendment, Federal Judge Rules
A federal judge ruled that DOGE’s cancellation of National Endowment for the Humanities grants was unconstitutional, including cuts that affected Jewish and Holocaust-related projects. U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon said the mass termination of NEH grants violated the First Amendment, the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment, and exceeded DOGE’s legal authority.
- DOGE’s cuts to Jewish humanities grants were unconstitutional, judge rules
At the same time, the NEH followed ... Fund, a politically conservative Jewish group. McMahon ruled that DOGE engaged in illegal “viewpoint discrimination.”...
- Federal Judge Blocks AI-Driven DOGE Cuts For Unlawfully Targeting Race, Gender & Other Protected Classes - 97.9 The Beat
ABC News reports that depositions ... sharply condemned that strategy, ruling DOGE “blatantly used protected characteristics as criteria for grant termination.”...
- Federal Judge Orders Reinstatement of NEH Grants
Finally, the court determined that “on the disputed evidence, DOGE officials exercised decisive authority over the selection and termination of NEH grants without any statutory authority to do so.” The filing explains that DOGE targeted ...
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