A federal judge in Maryland has blocked Donald Trump's directives to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at federal agencies and among government contractors. US District Judge Adam Abelson ruled that such directives likely violate the First Amendment by attempting to chill supportive viewpoints. Abelson also noted that a lawsuit from Baltimore and several organizations seeks to uphold the legality of inclusivity efforts, which have historically been accepted. This ruling underscores the ongoing debate over free speech vs. government regulation in the context of DEI initiatives.
The White House and attorney general have made clear, through their ongoing implementation of various aspects of the J21 order, that viewpoints and speech considered to be in favor of or supportive of DEI or DEIA are viewpoints the government wishes to punish and, apparently, attempt to extinguish, Abelson wrote in one widely shared passage.
The supreme court has made clear time and time again, the government cannot rely on the threat of invoking legal sanctions and other means of coercion' to suppress disfavored speech.
Abelson blocked Trump and several federal agencies from implementing the orders pending the outcome of a lawsuit by the city of Baltimore and three groups.
Efforts to foster inclusion have been widespread and uncontroversially legal for decades', Abelson wrote.
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