A federal judge in Boston declared today that the Trump administration’s termination of over $1 billion in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants for diversity-related research “void and illegal,” accusing the government of discriminating against minorities and LGBT individuals.
U.S. District Judge William Young, presiding over a non-jury trial, found that the NIH violated federal law by arbitrarily canceling these research grants.
The cancellations were deemed to be based on the grants’ perceived connection to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Judge Young reinstated grants that had been awarded to organizations and Democratic-led states that filed lawsuits against the terminations. He also indicated that as the case proceeds, he might issue a broader ruling that could further impact federal funding decisions.
