In a significant legal decision, a federal judge has imposed a temporary suspension on the Trump administration’s actions aimed at reshaping the Head Start program. This order prohibits officials from excising terms connected with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from grant applications. Additionally, it prevents further employee layoffs in the Office of Head Start, a move prompted by a lawsuit filed earlier this year.
The lawsuit, initiated in April against Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other leaders, contends that the administration has unlawfully undermined Head Start by closing several local offices and terminating approximately half of the staff. Central to the complaint is the administration’s effort to exclude children residing in the United States without legal authorization from participating in Head Start programs, alongside attempts to ban language perceived as indicative of DEI concepts.
According to filings submitted by plaintiff organizations representing Head Start providers and parent groups, officials instructed a Head Start director in Wisconsin to remove words like “race,” “belonging,” and “pregnant people” from her grant application. Subsequently, authorities provided a list discouraging the use of nearly 200 terms, including “Black,” “Native American,” “disability,” and “women.”
When approached for comment regarding the judge’s injunction, a Health and Human Services spokesperson declined to provide remarks.
Head Start, launched more than 60 years ago during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, offers early education and family support services to extensive numbers of children from economically disadvantaged households, foster care, or experiencing homelessness. Although federally funded, the program is managed by local governments, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions.
Joel Ryan, director of Washington State’s Head Start & Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, characterized the judicial order as a safeguard against damaging attacks on Head Start centers. Ryan stated, “When funding is withheld from a Head Start program for supporting children with autism, assisting tribal members on reservations, or treating all families with dignity, it assaults the core mission of Head Start.”
The prohibition of certain words has created uncertainty amongst Head Start directors tasked with detailing their allocation plans in grant proposals. They are legally mandated to collect and report demographic data on the families they serve. One director in Washington state reported in court documents that the guidance to avoid specific language compelled her to terminate staff training sessions focused on assisting children with autism and trauma-related needs.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez of Seattle issued the order, which was made public on Monday. It bars the Department of Health and Human Services from enforcing additional employee reductions or penalizing Head Start providers who utilize the restricted vocabulary in their applications or operations.