Legal
‘Hostile takeover’: Antioch University faces down university coalition it co-founded
The conflict between Antioch University and the Common Interest Alliance (CCG) has escalated. The CCG executive committee voted on August 28 to dissolve Antioch's board and take over its bank accounts, prompting Antioch to sue and secure a temporary court injunction. The dispute involves contractual authority, financial issues, and leadership conflicts.
Ohio State University settles DOJ allegations for $2.1M
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday that Ohio State University has agreed to pay $2.1 million to settle allegations that it failed to disclose faculty members' ties to the Chinese government while receiving federal research funding. The university did not admit wrongdoing but stated it had cooperated with the investigation and taken action against the professors involved.
Judge rules Trump policies deporting foreign students based on speech unconstitutional
Judge Noël Wise of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled last Friday that the Trump administration's policy of deporting lawful immigrants based on speech under two provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act is unconstitutional. The policy led to the revocation of hundreds of student visas and affected institutions such as the Stanford University student newspaper. The judge noted that free speech belongs to all people in the United States, and the government has no right to deprive it.
Week in review: Trump administration targets ABA’s accrediting arm
This week's higher education developments were intense: Education Department staff recommended revoking the ABA's federal accreditation; Broward College reached a $430,000 separation agreement with its former president; the Education Department and student journalists filed appeals in significant cases; MIT, the University of Chicago, and Florida universities adjusted their AI usage policies.
DOJ sues 4 more states over tuition laws for undocumented students
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice filed lawsuits against Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington over laws that allow some undocumented students to receive in-state tuition and state financial aid. The Department of Justice argues that these policies illegally provide benefits to undocumented students that are not extended to all U.S. citizens. Currently, the Department of Justice has sued 21 states and successfully overturned similar policies in five states.
EEOC lawsuit alleges Washington University segregated DEI training by race
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against Washington University in St. Louis on Wednesday, alleging that a mandatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center (SCC) segregated employees into Zoom breakout rooms by race. The charging party, a Black senior program manager, claims she was isolated and later terminated in retaliation for filing an EEOC complaint. The suit cites violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title I of the Civil Rights Act of 1991. The case reflects the EEOC's active enforcement against DEI programs under the Trump administration.
Unions sue Education Department over ‘professional’ degree rule
A coalition of unions, including the American Federation of Teachers, sued the U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday over its regulatory definition of a "professional degree," which excludes education graduate programs. The definition determines federal student loan limits: programs classified as professional allow up to $200,000 in loans, while excluded fields like education are capped at $100,000. The lawsuit follows a federal judge's June order temporarily blocking the definition, prompting the department to expand the list to include nursing, physical therapy, athletic training, and occupational therapy—though education remains excluded as of July 10.