On August 14, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland vacated the February 14 “Dear Colleague” Letter and the Certification Requirement, holding that both are unconstitutional, unlawful, and do not comply with the Administrative Procedures Act (APA). The “Dear Colleague” Letter (DCL) The DCL, issued by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education … [Read more...] about U.S. District Court Vacated Trump Administration’s “Dear Colleague” Letter Concerning DEI Programs
School Law Bullet
Frozen K-12 Grants To Be Released
On July 25, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget confirmed that the Trump administration will release nearly $6 billion in K-12 education grant funding that was previously frozen on July 1, 2025, pending programmatic reviews. See SLB 419 “Federal Withholding of Over $6 Billion in K-12 Grants Poses Immediate Challenges for School Districts” for our prior analysis on this issue. This … [Read more...] about Frozen K-12 Grants To Be Released
U.S. Department of Justice Releases Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding “Unlawful Discrimination”
On July 29, 2025, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi circulated a memorandum to all federal agencies with guidance regarding what constitutes unlawful discrimination. Specifically, the guidance honed in on the applicability of federal antidiscrimination laws to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The Memorandum The DOJ’s memo, titled “Guidance for Recipients of Federal … [Read more...] about U.S. Department of Justice Releases Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding “Unlawful Discrimination”
U.S. Department of Education Releases Guidance on Use of Federal Funds to Improve Education Outcomes Using Artificial Intelligence
On July 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (“Department”) Secretary, Linda E. McMahon, issued a Dear Colleague Letter addressing the use of federal grant funds for the “responsible integration of artificial intelligence (AI)” in schools. Federal Commitment The Dear Colleague Letter (“Letter”) serves as the Department’s guidance regarding federal formula and discretionary grant funds … [Read more...] about U.S. Department of Education Releases Guidance on Use of Federal Funds to Improve Education Outcomes Using Artificial Intelligence
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Finds Hospital Entitled to Tax Exemptions Despite Executive Compensation Concerns
On May 30, 2025, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reversed the Commonwealth Court and reinstated a trial court order granting a hospital exemptions from local property taxes. The case originated when a school district appealed the exemptions, arguing the hospital did not operate free from private profit motive due to unreasonably high executive compensation. Background In The … [Read more...] about Pennsylvania Supreme Court Finds Hospital Entitled to Tax Exemptions Despite Executive Compensation Concerns
Pennsylvania District Court Reversed Hearing Officer FAPE/Compensatory Education Decision
On May 27, 2025, Chief Judge Juan R. Sanchez of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania reversed Hearing Officer James Gerl’s (“H.O. Gerl”) decision in Laboratory Charter School v. M.R.S. The federal judge found that Laboratory Charter (“Lab Charter”) failed to provide M.R.S. with a FAPE during her 6th grade school year (2020 – 2021) when it did not conduct a reevaluation nor implement an … [Read more...] about Pennsylvania District Court Reversed Hearing Officer FAPE/Compensatory Education Decision
