Overview
- Filed in federal court in Boston, the lawsuit is led by attorneys general from Massachusetts, California and Maryland and includes 14 other Democratic-led states.
- The Education Department’s new ACTS/IPEDS requirement, ordered by President Trump in August 2025 and finalized Dec. 18, compels detailed reporting on applicants, admits and enrollees disaggregated by race and sex, with data due March 18 and a conditional extension available to April 8.
- Plaintiffs call the change unlawful and arbitrary, citing unprecedented retroactivity, undefined terms, heavy compliance costs and risks of errors that could trigger fines and threaten Title IV aid eligibility.
- Education Department spokesperson Ellen Keast defends the mandate as needed transparency to enforce the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling on race in admissions and to show how universities consider race.
- The complaint highlights privacy risks and notes the administration has sought similar data in settlements with Brown and Columbia, as separate enforcement actions continue, with reports citing penalties above $71,000 per violation for noncompliance.