Major Update in our NEH Lawsuit

On March 6, 2026, the American Historical Association and our co-plaintiffs filed a motion for summary judgment. Depositions and records obtained through the discovery process detail the role of DOGE staff in cancelling humanities grants, and how both the Fed…

On March 6, 2026, the American Historical Association and our co-plaintiffs filed a motion for summary judgment. Depositions and records obtained through the discovery process detail the role of DOGE staff in cancelling humanities grants, and how both the Federal Equal Protection Clause of the 5th Amendment and the Federal Records Acts were violated in the process. These findings, described in more detail on our website and in the press release below, underscore why this case matters, not only for historians and educators, but also for documenting this moment for the historical record and for the future of public support for the humanities.

We continue to pursue this case and will keep you informed as it develops. In the meantime, we invite you to stand with historians defending the humanities by donating to the AHA’s advocacy fund. The support of our donors and members make these important advocacy actions possible. For immediate release / March 7, 2026 (New York, NY) — The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) used a flawed ChatGPT process to identify “DEI programs” and inform decisions to terminate grants awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

This development was revealed in discovery documents made available as part of a motion for a summary judgment filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Friday, March 6, 2026. The filing by the plaintiffs—the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), the American Historical Association (AHA), and the Modern Language Association (MLA)—included depositions by two key members of the DOGE team, as well as Adam Wolfson (NEH Assistant Chair for Programs) and Michael McDonald (NEH General Counsel and Acting Chair of the NEH from March 2025 to January 2026).

Depositions reveal that DOGE team members made the decisions about funding—despite having no legal authority to do so; document the use of Signal by DOGE and NEH staff to communicate about their process in violation of the Federal Records Act; and make clear that some grants were terminated despite NEH staff concluding that they did not conflict with new policies coming from the Trump Administration.

Discovery in this lawsuit has uncovered egregious and illegal actions that affect organizations and residents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In the motion, the plaintiffs present three claims: violations of the First Amendment; violations of the Equal Protection Clause; and violation of the separation of powers, as DOGE carried out the termination of the grants, not the NEH Chair, and without approval from Congress.

Their case, which has been joined to a similar case brought by the Authors Guild, seeks a judgment restoring the unlawfully terminated funding to their constituents, whose research and livelihoods have been threatened by the cancellation of their grants. “The principle that knowledge of history, literature, religion, philosophy, and the arts is necessary to sustain a strong and resilient nation drove Congress to establish the NEH,” said ACLS President Joy Connolly.

“Our lawsuit reveals this administration’s contempt for that principle and for public investment in research for the common good. DOGE employees’ use of ChatGPT to identify ‘wasteful’ grants is perhaps the biggest advertisement for the need for humanities education, which builds skills in critical thinking.” “The manner in which NEH grants were terminated is in direct opposition to the agency’s founding legislation, which asserted that ‘it is necessary and appropriate for the Federal Government to help create and sustain .  .  .

a climate encouraging freedom of thought, imagination, and inquiry,’” said AHA Executive Director, Sarah Weicksel. “Terminating the grants of scholars and institutions for reasons ranging from the nature of the questions posed to the race or gender of the historical figures they intended to study, quashes freedom of thought, stifles imagination, prevents inquiry, and thereby threatens the study of history and the humanities more broadly.” “The facts in this case have exposed the administration’s total disregard for the democratic process and for the value of the humanities that the NEH exists to promote,” said the MLA’s executive director, Paula M.

Krebs. “Through this lawsuit, we have been able to document in detail the haphazard and unlawful actions of DOGE as these unqualified agents undermined the separation of powers and denied the American people access to vital public programming and research.” Established in 1965, the NEH has been a cornerstone investor in the advancement and accessibility of humanities knowledge and programs, providing funding to museums, historic sites, colleges, universities, libraries, public television and radio stations, research institutions, and scholars.

In April of 2025, the NEH eliminated grants, grant programs, much of its staff, and entire divisions. The ACLS, AHA, and MLA filed a lawsuit on May 1, 2025, seeking to reverse these actions, which affect access to humanities programming, resources, and research for millions of Americans across the United States. The plaintiffs, represented by the Jacobson Lawyers Group, are associations represented on the National Humanities Alliance executive committee.

The Phi Beta Kappa Society is also contributing to this effort. More information about the lawsuit is available online. Visit the ACLS, AHA, and MLA websites to view the original complaint, FAQs about the case, and more. About the American Council of Learned Societies Formed a century ago, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is a nonprofit federation of 81 scholarly organizations. As the leading representative of American scholarship in the humanities and interpretive social sciences, ACLS upholds the core principle that knowledge is a public good.

In supporting its member organizations, ACLS expands the forms, content, and flow of scholarly knowledge, reflecting its commitment to diversity of identity and experience. ACLS collaborates with institutions, associations, and individuals to strengthen the evolving infrastructure for scholarship. About the American Historical Association Founded in 1884 and incorporated by Congress in 1889 for the promotion of historical studies, the American Historical Association provides leadership for the discipline and promotes the critical role of historical thinking in public life.

The association defends academic freedom, develops professional standards, supports innovative scholarship and teaching, and helps to sustain and enhance the work of historians. As the largest membership association of professional historians in the world (nearly 11,000 members), the AHA serves historians in a wide variety of professions and represents every historical era and geographical area. Learn more at historians.org.

About the Modern Language Association The Modern Language Association of America and its 20,000 members work to strengthen the study and teaching of languages and literature. Founded in 1883, the MLA provides opportunities for its members to share their scholarly findings and teaching experiences with colleagues and to discuss trends in the academy. The MLA sustains a wide-ranging print and electronic publishing program that includes books, journals, style guides, and an international bibliography.

More information on MLA programs is available at www.mla.org. Heather Mangrum, ACLS Director of Communications, hmangrum@acls.org Alexandra Levy, AHA Director of Communications & Public Affairs, alevy@historians.org Anna Chang, MLA Director of Outreach, achang@mla.org For interview requests, please contact hmangrum@acls.org (ACLS), press@historians.org (AHA), and press@mla.org (MLA).

Summary

This report covers the latest developments in artificial intelligence. The information presented highlights key changes and updates that are relevant to those following this topic.

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