Washington sues Trump Dept. of Education for demanding college admission data on race, sex

March 12, 2026 - 04:04

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown is leading a coalition of 17 state attorneys general in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education. The legal action challenges a federal demand for detailed college admissions data concerning student race and sex.

The dispute centers on a request from the Department's Office for Civil Rights, which has asked multiple state higher education systems to provide years of applicant and admission records broken down by race and sex. The states argue this demand is an unlawful overreach, imposing a massive and unjustified burden on public universities. They contend the data collection is not tied to any specific investigation of discrimination and lacks a clear legal purpose.

In the lawsuit, the coalition asserts that complying would force states to divert significant resources and personnel away from their educational missions. The attorneys general express concern that the information could be misused to undermine diversity efforts on college campuses. They are asking the court to block the federal data demand, protecting states from what they deem an unwarranted and intrusive mandate. The case highlights ongoing tensions over federal authority and the protection of student information in higher education.