THE DIVERSITY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY WINS INJUNCTION TO STOP TRUMP’S BAN ON DIVERSITY TRAININGS IN LAWSUIT: THE DIVERSITY CENTER V. TRUMP
Santa Cruz, CA, Jan. 5, 2020– In Nov. 2020, The Diversity Center filed their first federal lawsuit against the Trump administration's harmful policies, specifically to block the President's executive order that banned workplace diversity trainings by federal contractors. As an organization that provides training to all kinds of workplaces, and who also receives federal grants, this executive order had a chilling effect on the Diversity Center’s work and needed to be blocked. A federal judge ruled on the side of justice and gave the Diversity Center a critical win.
U.S. District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman issued a nationwide preliminary injunction barring the Trump administration from implementing its executive order that prohibits federal contractors and grantees from conducting workplace diversity trainings or engaging in grant-funded work that explicitly acknowledges and confronts the existence of structural racism, homophobia, transphobia, and sexism in our society.
Judge Freeman issued her ruling after hearing oral argument November 10, 2020, on the motion for a preliminary injunction sought by The Diversity Center in partnership with Lambda Legal in its lawsuit filed earlier in November challenging the ban.
“The Diversity Center was proud to challenge this hateful and discriminatory presidential executive order. President Trump has done so many awful things to roll back hard fought civil rights advancements. We are relieved that we won this lawsuit and that this executive order was never able to be implemented.” said Sharon Papo, Diversity Center Executive Director
From the ruling:
“The Court agrees with Plaintiffs that the Government’s argument is a gross mischaracterization of the speech Plaintiffs want to express and an insult to their work of addressing discrimination and injustice towards historically underserved communities. That this Government dislikes this speech is irrelevant to the analysis but permeates their briefing.”
The lawsuit was filed with Lambda Legal and in partnership with respective LGBT rights groups including the Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County, AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC), the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, just to name a few.
This victory comes during a crucial time and is not only a win for the Diversity Center and the organizations involved in the case, but also a huge win for the entire LGBTQ+ community and ethnic minority communities across the nation.
The lawsuit is The Diversity Center v. Trump. Read the ruling here: https://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/legal-docs/diversity_ca_20201222_order-granting-part-nationwide-preliminary-injunction
Read more about the case here: https://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/the-diversity-center-v-trump
More about the clients is available here: https://www.lambdalegal.org/the-diversity-center-v-trump_plaintiffs
About the Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County
The Diversity Center is Santa Cruz County’s LGBTQ+ community center. Founded in 1989, The Center merged with Triangle Speakers 12 years ago, and is now the chief agency in the county promoting social justice, enhancing the health and well-being, and building a sense of community for LGBTQ+ people.
About Lambda Legal
Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education and policy work. www.lambdalegal.org
Contact:
Sharon Papo, (c) 831-345-2056; director@diversitycenter.org
Tom Warnke; (c): 213-841-4503; Email: twarnke@lambdalegal.org