The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts granted the coalition's motion on April 3, exempting state colleges and universities from the data demand while the underlying lawsuit moves forward, according to the New York Attorney General's office.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who helped lead the coalition, characterized the DOE mandate as part of a broader federal effort targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. "This administration's crusade against DEI is dangerous," James said. "Students should not have to live in fear that their personal data will be handed over to the federal government, just as schools should not have to scramble to produce years of sensitive information to satisfy an arbitrary and unlawful demand."
The attorneys general filed the underlying lawsuit last month, challenging what they called a "sweeping new federal data collection mandate targeting colleges and universities."
The injunction provides temporary relief while that case proceeds. "I am 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," James said.
The name of the presiding judge was not included in the attorney general's announcement. The court's opinion was not part of the source materials reviewed for this report.