Two teachers’ unions from the University of California (UC) system have sued U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration over the freezing of federal funds and actions they claim are aimed at suppressing academic freedom.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, was brought forward by 21 groups representing more than 100,000 employees. Their representatives allege that the administration is attempting to restrict the rights of educational institutions through financial pressure.
According to the suit, the goal is to prevent the government from using financial threats against the system, which are described as harmful and unlawful. It also demands the restoration of funds that have already been suspended, The Guardian reported.
The filing states that the Trump administration is attempting to take control of UC’s daily management “through coercion, by threatening to cut $17 billion in annual federal funding for the system if it does not comply with its demands.”
The lawsuit also emphasizes that these threats were based on “disdain for the institutions’ teaching programs, expressive campus activities, and initiatives for diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
