Agreement Removes Threats to More than $700 Million in Annual Federal Education Assistance for Maryland, Including More than $250 Million to Support Students with Disabilities  

BALTIMORE, MD (February 10, 2026) – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in obtaining a commitment from the Trump administration that will prevent it from withholding federal funding from state and local education agencies that refuse to abandon lawful programs and policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which promote equal access to education in K-12 classrooms across the nation.

“The Trump Administration tried to blackmail Maryland schools – abandon your commitment to equal education or lose the resources your most vulnerable students depend on,” said Attorney General Brown. “This victory means Maryland students with disabilities, English language learners, and children from low-income families will keep getting the support they need. We will never sit idle while the federal government plays politics with our children’s futures.”

On April 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) informed state and local agencies that they must sign a document setting forth the Trump administration’s new interpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in relation to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts – or else risk immediate and catastrophic loss of federal education funds.  

Maryland provided the Department with written certifications, making it clear that Maryland and its local partners fully comply with Title VI and its lawfully issued implementing regulations, but it informed the Department that Maryland would not assent to its additional, unlawful demands. 

On April 25, 2025, Attorney General Brown and a multistate coalition filed a lawsuit asserting that the Department’s attempt to terminate federal education funding based on its misinterpretation of Title VI violates the Spending Clause, the Appropriations Clause, the separation of powers, and the Administrative Procedure Act. A complementary lawsuit filed by other parties in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, American Federation of Teachers, et al. v. United States Department of Education, obtained an important victory vacating the April 3 certification request. The administration decided not to pursue an appeal from that decision.     

In the states’ lawsuit, the administration confirmed that the relief obtained in the American Federation of Teachers lawsuit applies to schools in Maryland. It prevents the administration from withholding any funding based on these unlawful conditions.  

The agreement protects more than $700 million in financial support that the Department provides to Maryland each year for a wide variety of needs related to children and education, including more than $250 million in funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This funding further includes financial support to ensure that students from low-income families have the same access to high-quality education as their peers, bolster teacher training and development, and fund programming for non-native speakers to learn English.   

Joining Attorney General Brown in signing this agreement are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.