Court Cases

Education news, analysis, and opinion about lawsuits and legal proceedings
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Education Funding States Sue Linda McMahon Over 'Drastic and Abrupt' End to COVID Relief Aid
The sudden cancellation of extensions on spending COVID relief aid "triggered chaos," the states argue.
Mark Lieberman, April 11, 2025
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5 min read
Young Female Teacher Giving a Lecture During an Adult Education Course in School, Having a Conversation with a Older Female with Laptop. Diverse Mature Students Doing Textbook Exercises in Classroom
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Law & Courts Another Court Lets the Trump Admin. Keep Teacher-Training Grants Frozen
A federal appeals court overturned a lower court's order that had temporarily restored millions of dollars in terminated grant funds.
Matthew Stone, April 11, 2025
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4 min read
A man standing on the edge of a one dollar bill that is folded downward to look like a funding cliff.
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Education Funding Trump Cut Teacher-Training Grants for Schools and Colleges. Now What?
Some educator-preparation programs have little hope of getting their money back, even if court cases advance.
Mark Lieberman & Olina Banerji, April 10, 2025
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10 min read
Erin Huff, a kindergarten teacher at Waverly Elementary School, works with, from left to right, Ava Turner, a 2nd grader, Benton Ryan, 1st grade, and 3rd grader Haven Green, on estimating measurements using mini marshmallows in Waverly, Ill., on Dec. 18, 2019. Huff, a 24-year-old teacher in her third year, says relatively low pay, stress and workload often discourage young people from pursuing teaching degrees, leading to a current shortage of classroom teachers in Illinois. A nonprofit teacher-training program is using a $750,000 addition to the state budget to speed up certification to address a rampant teacher shortage.
Erin Huff, a 24-year-old kindergarten teacher at Waverly Elementary in Illinois, pictured here on Dec. 18, 2019, says low pay, high stress, and heavy workloads often discourage young people from entering teacher preparation programs. The U.S. Supreme Court on April 4, 2025, allowed the Trump administration to immediately terminate two federal teacher-preparation grant programs.
John O'Connor/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court Allows Trump Admin. to End Teacher-Prep Grants
The high court, over three justices' dissent, granted the administration's request to remove a lower court's block on ending the grants.
Mark Walsh, April 4, 2025
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5 min read
Supporters gather outside the U.S. Department of Education in Washington to applaud Education Department employees as they depart their offices for the final time on Friday, March 28, 2025. The rally brought together education supporters, students, parents, and former employees to honor the departing staff as they arrived in 30-minute intervals to collect their belongings.
Supporters gather outside the U.S. Department of Education in Washington to applaud Education Department employees as they depart their offices for the final time on Friday, March 28, 2025. Two organizations representing researchers are suing the department in an attempt to restore the agency's data and research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences.
Moriah Ratner for Education Week
Law & Courts Groups Sue Over Trump's Cuts to Education Department Research Arm
This suit seeks the restoration of Institute of Education Sciences staff and contracts abruptly canceled by the Trump administration.
Brooke Schultz, April 4, 2025
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3 min read
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Student Well-Being & Movement Federal Efforts Have Curbed Teen Vaping. Will the Recent Cuts Change That?
Efforts to curtail youth vaping may be in peril after dramatic federal staffing cuts.
Evie Blad & Mark Walsh, April 2, 2025
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6 min read
The Supreme Court in Washington, June 30, 2024.
The U.S. Supreme Court considers a major challenge to the E-rate program for school internet connections on March 26.
Susan Walsh/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court Appears Unlikely to Strike Down School E-Rate Program
The Supreme Court seems unlikely to strike down the E-rate program, though some justices questioned its funding structure and oversight.
Mark Walsh, March 26, 2025
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5 min read
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference held at Trump Tower, Friday, Sept., 6, 2024 in New York.
Donald Trump speaks during a news conference held at Trump Tower on Sept. 6, 2024 in New York. His education actions since returning to the White House in January 2025 have drawn numerous lawsuits alleging he's overstepping his authority.
Stefan Jeremiah/AP
Law & Courts Tracker See All the Lawsuits Filed Over Trump's Education Policies
Here’s a look at the Trump education policies that have drawn litigation, and where the complaints stand.
Brooke Schultz & Matthew Stone, March 26, 2025
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1 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Law & Courts Opinion Can States Bar Religious Charter Schools? The Supreme Court Will Soon Decide
Recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions suggest that bans on faith-based charter schools may violate the Free Exercise Clause.
Rick Hess, March 25, 2025
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13 min read
Kim Anderson, the executive director of the National Education Association (NEA), speaks during a demonstration at the headquarters of the Department of Education, Friday, March 14, 2025, in Washington.
Kim Anderson, the executive director of the National Education Association, speaks during a demonstration at the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Education on March 14, 2025, in Washington. The NEA and the American Federation of Teachers have both filed lawsuits seeking to block President Donald Trump's efforts to dismantle the Education Department.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Law & Courts NEA, AFT Sue to Block Trump’s Education Department Dismantling
The nation’s two largest teachers’ unions are asking federal courts to halt efforts to close the U.S. Department of Education.
Brooke Schultz, March 24, 2025
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4 min read
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Law & Courts Idaho Can Restrict Transgender Students’ Restroom Use, Appeals Court Rules
A federal appeals court panel declined to block an Idaho law requiring students to use restrooms that align with their "biological sex."
Mark Walsh, March 21, 2025
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3 min read
The Supreme Court of the United States is seen on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington.
The U.S. Supreme Court, seen on Feb. 27, next week will hear arguments in a challenge to the funding structure of the $4 billion federal E-rate program, which provides discounts to schools to connect to the internet.
Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP
Law & Courts Schools Fear Funding Loss as Supreme Court Weighs E-Rate Case
The justices hear arguments next week in a challenge to the funding structure of the $4 billion program to connect schools to the internet.
Mark Walsh, March 20, 2025
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8 min read
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Law & Courts Religious Charters, LGBTQ+ Books, and More: A Winter Legal Roundup
This winter, key court cases tackled school desegregation, parental rights, religious charters, LGBTQ+ policies, and education funding.
Mark Walsh, March 19, 2025
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7 min read
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Law & Courts Judge Orders Trump Admin. to Restore Teacher-Prep Grants It Slashed
The administration must reinstate funding for all recipients of three federal grants supporting educator development, a judge ruled.
Mark Lieberman, March 17, 2025
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3 min read
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