Federal Court enjoins Trump Executive Order Restricting Unconscious Bias Training.

Unconscious bias training UPDATE

Federal Court Issues Nationwide Preliminary Injunction on Unconscious Bias Training Content Restrictions Imposed by Trump Administration. 

On December 22, 2020, US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting enforcement of restrictions on unconscious bias training content imposed on government contractors and grantees through Executive Order 13950

The order became effective immediately.

Executive Order 1350 restricted unconscious bias training content provided by federal contractors and grantees. 

As previously reported, President Trump issued Executive Order 13950 on September 22, 2020.  The Executive Order contained detailed provisions designed to prevent the Uniformed Services as well as federal contractors and grantees from providing diversity training or unconscious bias training addressing concepts the Trump Administration deemed unacceptable.

The December 22 injunction prevents enforcement of restrictions on unconscious bias training content. 

Judge Labson’s December 22 Order Granting in Part Motion for Nationwide Preliminary Injunction prohibits the Trump Administration, including all federal agencies, from enforcing Trump’s Executive Order against a contractor or grantee or taking any additional steps to impose restrictions on contractors or grantees based on the Executive Order.

The Order also requires the Administration to take “appropriate steps” to ensure compliance with the injunction order.

Additionally, the Administration must provide notice of the injunction to all contractors, grantees, subcontractors, and sub-grantees for whom such terms have been imposed since the Executive Order was issued.

The order applies to the Administration, all federal agencies, their officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys, as well as “any other persons who are in active concert or participation with Defendants or Defendants’ officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys.”

Pursuant to the preliminary injunction, the Trump Administration

• cannot include contractual provisions prohibiting contractors from using workplace training involving concepts prohibited by the Executive Order or any related agency guidance

• cannot enforce any existing contractual provisions prohibiting workplace training involving concepts prohibited by the Executive Order or any related agency guidance

• cannot use a hotline to collect information regarding contractors’ compliance or alleged noncompliance with the Executive Order or any related agency action

• cannot investigate any alleged noncompliance with the Executive Order (or any related agency action) received through any means

• cannot take any enforcement action or provide any remedial relief in response to alleged noncompliance with the Executive Order or related agency action

• cannot require contractors to give notice to union or employee representatives of any commitments made pursuant to the Executive Order regarding workplace training content

• cannot cancel, terminate, or suspend any contract for failure to comply with the Executive Order or any related agency action

• cannot declare an entity ineligible for future contracts or “otherwise sanction” the entity for refusal to comply with the Executive Order or any related agency action

• cannot require contractors to bind their subcontractors or vendors to the terms of the Executive Order or any related agency action

• cannot require contractors to take any action on any subcontract or purchase order to enforce provisions of the Executive Order or related agency guidance

• cannot publish any additional Request for Information regarding whether any training programs provided to contractor or subcontractor employees complies with the Executive Order or any related agency action

• cannot require, facilitate, or permit, or require, facilitate or permit any federal agency to include conditions in any grant program that would require recipients to certify that they will not use funds to promote any of the concepts prohibited by the Executive Order or any related agency action

• cannot require, facilitate or permit any federal agency to review or identification of grant programs upon which Executive Order-related restrictions could be added

• cannot require, facilitate or permit any federal agency to submit reports regarding grant programs on which Executive Order-related restrictions could be imposed

• cannot require, facilitate or permit any federal agency review any reports regarding such matters that may have already been produced

• cannot enforce any Executive Order-related conditions that may have already been included in a grant or subgrant

• cannot take any other action, whether or not listed in the Executive Order, intended to effectuate or enforce the provisions of the Executive Order or any related agency guidance or actions applicable to government contracts and grants

Clear Law Institute’s Unconscious Bias Training

Clear Law Institute provides online and instructor-led unconscious bias, diversity, and inclusion training for employers around the country. 

Clear Law’s online Unconscious Bias Training is self-paced, and fully narrated. The training also includes numerous interactive animations, video demonstrations, and exercises to keep employees engaged.

We provide online training to more than 1,000 employers, handle training roll-out to employees, support tech issues, and track course completions.

Click here to learn more and receive a FREE TRIAL of Clear Law Institute’s Unconcious Bias Training: Promoting a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace.

 

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