Judge temporarily restores $5 million teacher training program to Towson University after Trump administration’s cuts

By Sarah Sternhagen, Editor-in-Chief

A federal judge ruled last week that the Trump administration must temporarily restore a $5 million grant to Towson University used to help train PreK-6 teachers, after the U.S. Department of Education cut the funding in February.

The March 10 decision by U.S. Massachusetts District Judge Myong J. Joun temporarily reinstates grant funding for the Teacher Quality Partnership, or TPQ, program not only for Towson, but also for colleges in several states. The program trains teachers to work in low-staffed K-12 schools while also trying to create a more diverse pool of educators.

The Education Department cut $600 million in grants for the program last month, claiming it trained teachers in “divisive ideologies,” including topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown and seven other states then jointly sued the Trump Administration this month over the grant termination, arguing it was arbitrary.

Towson received the $5 million grant in 2024 to use over five years. The university pays for expenses related to the program upfront and asks the Education Department for reimbursement, and last requested funds in early March according to a Towson spokesperson. 

Laila Richman, an associate dean who leads the TQP project at Towson, received a letter from the Education Department’s Mark Washington, a deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, last month terminating the grant. The Education Department claimed in the letter that the grant provided funds for programs that “promote or take part in DEI initiatives.”

Towson filed a legal brief in support of the attorney generals’ lawsuit early this month. In that filing, Laurie Mullen, dean of Towson’s College of Education, said the cut interrupted several aspects of the college’s work, including visits to schools and hiring of a project director.

“Towson University has signed agreements with project partners and committed project resources to partner school districts and community colleges,” Mullen wrote. “Funds for these agreements are no longer available.”

Towson estimated that program would train 400 teachers, according to court records. 

“Estimating that each classroom has approximately 22 students, the loss of this project impacts over 26,000 Maryland students,” Mullen wrote in the court filing.

Towson did not clarify if any funds had been reimbursed since Judge Joun’s ruling by publication time.

The cut comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Inauguration Day ending DEI initiatives within the federal government. The Department of Education also opened investigations into 45 colleges including Towson on March 14 for partnering with The PhD Project, a non-profit that helps people from diverse backgrounds pursue PhDs, for allegedly violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

Towson said it is monitoring the notice of investigation.