Court Cases

Education news, analysis, and opinion about lawsuits and legal proceedings
Roman Martinez, an attorney with Latham & Watkins, is featured in the Bloomberg Law documentary 'Supreme Advocacy.'
Roman Martinez, a Washington lawyer who has played a role in four U.S. Supreme Court cases about the rights of special education students, is featured in the Bloomberg Law documentary "Supreme Advocacy."
via YouTube
Law & Courts How One Lawyer Helped Reshape Special Education at the Supreme Court
A documentary follows a lawyer behind major Supreme Court wins for students with disabilities.
Mark Walsh, December 15, 2025
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9 min read
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Minneapolis Public Schools for discrimination in its efforts to shield teachers of color from layoffs and reassignments.
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Minneapolis Public Schools for discrimination in its efforts to shield teachers of color from layoffs and reassignments.
Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune via TNS
Equity & Diversity Trump Admin. Accuses Minneapolis Schools of Racism in Protecting Minority Teachers
The Justice Department has filed its latest suit alleging racism for efforts to boost teacher diversity.
Anthony Lonetree, Star Tribune, December 11, 2025
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2 min read
IQ test, paper sheet with test answer on the table
iStock/Getty
Law & Courts Supreme Court Weighs IQ Tests and Other School Records in Key Death Penalty Case
The court weighs the proper role of IQ tests for defendants claiming an intellectual disability.
Mark Walsh, December 11, 2025
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8 min read
A U.S. Supreme Court police officer walks in front of the Supreme Court amid renovations as the justices hear oral arguments on President Donald Trump's push to expand control over independent federal agencies in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 8, 2025.
A U.S. Supreme Court police officer walks in front of the court amid renovations in Washington, on Dec. 8, 2025. The court took several actions in education cases, including ordering a lower court to take a fresh look at a lawsuit challenging a New York state law that ended religious exemptions to school vaccinations.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court Orders New Review of Religious Exemptions to School Vaccines
The U.S. Supreme Court ordered a new look in a school vaccination case and declined to review library book removals.
Mark Walsh, December 8, 2025
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6 min read
A student visits a sensory room at a Topeka, KS elementary school, on Nov. 3, 2021.
A student visits a sensory room at an elementary school in Topeka, Kan., on Nov. 3, 2021. Schools have expanded their student mental health services in recent years, many with support from hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants that the Trump administration pulled earlier this year and have since been caught up in legal proceedings.
Charlie Riedel/AP
Education Funding A Guide to Where School Mental Health Grants Stand After a New Legal Twist
Temporary relief for one set of projects raises questions for other initiatives vying for federal money.
Matthew Stone, December 8, 2025
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5 min read
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on birthright citizenship in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order to on birthright citizenship in the Oval Office on Jan. 20, 2025. The U.S. Supreme Court will consider the legality of Trump's effort to limit birthright citizenship, another immigration policy that could affect schools.
Evan Vucci/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court to Weigh Birthright Citizenship. Why It Matters to Schools
The justices will review President Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship, a move that could affect schools.
Mark Walsh, December 5, 2025
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4 min read
Education Secretary Linda McMahon appears before the House Appropriation Panel about the 2026 budget in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon appears before a U.S. House of Representatives panel in Washington on May 21, 2025. McMahon's agency has inked seven agreements shifting core functions, including Title I for K-12 schools, to other federal agencies. Those moves, announced in November, have now drawn a legal challenge.
Jason Andrew for Education Week
Law & Courts 20 States Push Back as Ed. Dept. Hands Programs to Other Agencies
The Trump admin. says it wants to prove that moving programs out of the Ed. Dept. can work long-term.
Matthew Stone, December 1, 2025
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4 min read
Instructional coach Kristi Tucker posts notes to the board during a team meeting at Ford Elementary School in Laurens, S.C., on March 10, 2025.
Instructional coach Kristi Tucker posts notes to the board during a team meeting at Ford Elementary School in Laurens, S.C., on March 10, 2025. The grant funding this training work was among three teacher-preparation grant programs largely terminated by the Trump administration in its first weeks. Eight states filed a lawsuit challenging terminations in two of those programs, and a judge on Thursday said she couldn't restore the discontinued grants but could rule on whether the Trump administration acted legally.
Bryant Kirk White for Education Week
Law & Courts A New Twist in the Legal Battle Over Trump's Cancellation of Teacher-Prep Grants
A district court judge says she'll decide if the Trump administration broke the law.
Brooke Schultz, November 13, 2025
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4 min read
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent is seen in Park Ridge, Ill., Sept. 19, 2025.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent is seen in Park Ridge, Ill., Sept. 19, 2025. A lawsuit filed by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita accuses the Indianapolis schools of restricting ICE's access to school grounds.
Erin Hooley/AP
School & District Management School District Sued Over ‘Thwarting’ ICE Says Indiana AG’s Lawsuit Is ‘Silly’
The lawsuit says Indianapolis Public Schools blocked ICE from school grounds without a warrant or emergency.
Julia Marnin, The Herald (Rock Hill, S.C.), November 11, 2025
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4 min read
Screenshot of a portion of a response email blaming Democrat Senators for the government shutdown.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
Federal Judge Tells Ed. Dept. to Remove Language Blaming Democrats From Staff Emails
The agency added language blaming "Democrat Senators" for the federal shutdown to staffers' out-of-office messages
Brooke Schultz, November 7, 2025
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3 min read
People arrive to attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington.
People arrive to attend oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington. The court heard arguments in a major case on President Donald Trump's tariff policies, which are being challenged by two educational toy companies.
AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
Law & Courts Educational Toymakers Sued Over Trump Tariffs. How Is the Supreme Court Leaning?
Most justices appeared skeptical of President Trump's tariff policies, challenged by two educational toymakers.
Mark Walsh, November 5, 2025
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3 min read
Illustration of the arm of Statue of Liberty with various speech bubbles coming out of the top of her torch
DigitalVision Vectors
Law & Courts Court Rejects Discipline of Student Whose Post Mocked George Floyd's Death
An appeals court ruled that a student's off-campus social media post is constitutionally protected.
Mark Walsh, October 31, 2025
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4 min read
A copy of the Ten Commandments hangs alongside other historical documents at the Georgia Capitol on June 20, 2024, in Atlanta. Similar displays in schools are now at the center of court battles in Texas and Louisiana.
A copy of the Ten Commandments hangs alongside other historical documents at the Georgia Capitol on June 20, 2024, in Atlanta. Similar displays in schools are now at the center of court battles in Texas and Louisiana.
John Bazemore/AP
Law & Courts Appeals Court Heightens Stakes Over Ten Commandments School Laws
A full federal appeals court will review Texas and Louisiana laws requiring Ten Commandments displays in schools.
Mark Walsh, October 29, 2025
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2 min read
Social worker Mary Schmauss, right, greets students as they arrive for school on Oct. 1, 2024, at Algodones Elementary School in Algodones, N.M.
A social worker greets students as they arrive for school on Oct. 1, 2024, at Algodones Elementary School in Algodones, N.M. A judge on Oct. 27 said the Trump administration couldn't cancel about four dozen mental health grants that funded school district hiring of school social workers, counselors, and psychologists to boost school mental health services.
Roberto E. Rosales/AP
Law & Courts Ed. Dept. Can't Cancel Dozens of School Mental Health Grants, Judge Rules
The grants, valued at $1 billion, help schools employ more mental health professionals.
Matthew Stone, October 28, 2025
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5 min read
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