ACLU Sues Trump Admin Over Canceled Grants Tied to DEI, Gender Identity Research

The ACLU has sued the NIH over an alleged purge of research grants tied to DEI, gender identity, COVID-19, and other politically sensitive topics.

The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., on May 30, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), alongside a coalition of public health organizations, unions, and researchers, has filed a sweeping federal lawsuit accusing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of unlawfully canceling research grants due to political and ideological pressure.

The lawsuit, filed on April 2 at the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, said the NIH terminated grants tied to hundreds of research projects on topics such as diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), racial disparities, COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy, LGBTQ health, and international collaboration.