Federal judge moves to protect humanities funding axed by Trump administration

BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — Humanities North Dakota says its financial future looks more stable after a federal judge indicated the executive branch was wrong to cancel two years of nationwide humanities grants.

The National Endowment for the Humanities was created by Congress in 1965 to support civics, arts and cultural education across the country. A total of 56 humanities councils, including Humanities North Dakota, rely on the agency for money.

Those humanities councils were dealt a significant blow after the federal government in early April walked back hundreds of millions in grant funding earmarked for them by Congress for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years, according to court records. The National Endowment for the Humanities at the time said it was “repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda.”

Humanities North Dakota in April said it stood to lose $600,000 in grant money it received for fiscal year 2024 because of the funding cuts. The organization later received $300,000 in private donations to keep its doors open, though it said it still would have to pare down its programming in light of the grant cancellation.

Oregon U.S. District Judge Michael Simon in a Wednesday order wrote that the executive branch’s decision to defund humanities councils is unlawful and will likely be overturned at a later date. Simon’s order doesn’t reinstate any of the grant money, but it does temporarily prevent the federal government from spending it elsewhere, according to the Federation of State Humanities Councils.

“With the court’s decision, we’ll begin the process of resuming paused initiatives, reconnecting with community partners, and making responsible financial decisions that reflect both the uncertainty of the past few months and our long-term commitments,” said Brenna Gerhardt, executive director of Humanities North Dakota.

The grant cancellations were one of the many program purges carried out by executive branch agencies at the request of the Department of Government Efficiency. In addition to the funding cuts, the National Endowment for the Humanities this spring laid off roughly 65% of its staff, according to Simon’s order.

Simon’s decision came in a lawsuit against the Department of Government Efficiency and the National Endowment for the Humanities brought by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and one of its members, Oregon Humanities.

In their complaint, the plaintiffs allege the federal government canceled the funding “with no reasoned analysis and with total disregard for the Congressionally mandated role of councils: to ensure that humanities programs reach every part of the United States.”

The National Endowment for the Humanities has said that the grants were pulled because they were identified as promoting subjects like diversity, equity and inclusion, disability accommodation and environmental justice, which President Donald Trump pledged to eliminate in an executive order adopted earlier this year.

Simon said this flies in the face of how Congress wanted the National Endowment for the Humanities to use the grant money. Federal law directs the federal agency to support programs that “reflect the diversity and richness of our American cultural heritage” and “give particular regard to scholars, and educational and cultural institutions, that have traditionally been underrepresented.”

The funding cuts have disrupted funding for causes including an Indigenous language preservation program in Alaska, an end-of-life care department for an Ohio children’s hospital and rural libraries in Oregon, Simon noted in his order.

“From the largest cities to the most rural communities throughout our nation, humanities funding came to a screeching halt,” he wrote.

Phoebe Stein, president of the Federation of State Humanities Councils, in a Wednesday statement applauded Simon’s decision but noted that it still leaves humanities councils underfunded for the time being.

“Many have already laid off staff and canceled vital programs as a result,” Stein said in the announcement.

The National Endowment for the Humanities has argued in court documents that federal regulations allow them to terminate grants at will if they conclude that a grant does not further agency priorities.

(Story written by Mary Steurer – North Dakota Monitor)