The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued the order on April 3, James's office said in an announcement. The ruling temporarily exempts public colleges and universities in the plaintiff states from producing the requested records while the coalition's lawsuit proceeds.
James and 16 other state attorneys general filed the suit last month, the announcement said. The attorneys general contend that the Department of Education's data collection requirements are unlawful.
"This administration's crusade against DEI is dangerous," James said in the announcement.
James said students should not have to live in fear that their personal data will be handed over to the federal government, and that schools should not have to scramble to produce years of sensitive information to satisfy what she called an "arbitrary and unlawful demand."
James said she was "grateful the court acted swiftly to protect our public institutions while our case moves forward, and we will continue fighting to block this mandate for good," according to her office.
The press release did not name the presiding judge, provide a docket number, or identify the other 16 state attorneys general in the coalition. It also did not describe the Department of Education's stated justification for the data requirement or indicate whether the agency intends to appeal.