The New Hampshire Bulletin reports that a federal judge in New Hampshire dismissed a year-long lawsuit challenging the United States Department of Education’s (USDOE) February 2025 “Dear Colleague” letter about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). An agreement filed Feb. 3 between the National Education Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Department of Justice declared the dispute moot; Judge Landya McCafferty accepted that agreement in a court order. The original suit had sought to block the letter after the USDOE indicated it would investigate and potentially withhold funding from districts with DEI-related policies or contracts. Earlier rulings in the case had paused enforcement of the letter for certain districts.
The court order also noted that the challenged agency actions will not be relied upon by the defendants for enforcement, leaving the letter unenforced without a judicial determination on its legality. McCafferty’s earlier observations about vague DEI language reflect a common judicial concern about unclear administrative directives and their enforcement scope. Related legal challenges—such as a separate New Hampshire state-law case—remain pending, so some questions about DEI policy and enforcement are still unresolved.
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A New Hampshire federal judge formally dismissed a yearlong lawsuit against the Trump administration’s “anti-DEI” directive to public schools — weeks after both sides agreed it is no longer necessary.
