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Judge Sides with States, Calling Out the Trump Administration for an
“Appalling” Pattern of Discrimination Against Vulnerable Communities
BALTIMORE, MD — Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today issued the
following statement after a federal judge set aside the Trump administration’s decision to
terminate hundreds of crucial biomedical research grants, declaring the move “illegal” and
“void” and specifically condemning “clear” evidence of discrimination against the LGBTQ
community and racial minorities. The judge sided with a coalition of 16 attorneys general who
are suing the Trump administration over its unlawful attempt to disrupt grant funding issued by
the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“This ruling restores millions in grant funding that the Trump Administration unlawfully cut
from Maryland universities simply because their researchers were studying topics like diversity,
equity, and inclusion or gender identity,” said Attorney General Brown. “As this case moves
forward, Maryland will continue fighting to protect scientific integrity and ensure that vital
medical research is not sacrificed for political agendas.”
The lawsuit, filed on April 4, alleged that NIH had terminated large swaths of already-issued
grants for projects that are currently underway based on the projects’ perceived connection to
“DEI,” “transgender issues,” “vaccine hesitancy,” and other topics disfavored by the current
Administration. In boilerplate letters issued to the grants’ recipients, NIH claimed that each
cancelled project “no longer effectuates agency priorities.” Siding with the states, Judge William
G. Young denounced these actions, stating that he had “never seen a record where racial
discrimination was so palpable” in his 40 years on the bench, and that he would “be blind not to
call it out.”
Yesterday’s court ruling halted the cancellation of millions of dollars that have already been
awarded to address important public health needs and will allow funding for life-saving medical
research to continue. The coalition will be filing a proposed order with the court in the coming
days.
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