In a thunderous courtroom rebuke, a Massachusetts federal judge on Monday blocked the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from pulling the plug on hundreds of grant programs across the country—programs that touch everything from COVID-19 and climate change to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and LGBTQ health initiatives.
The ruling, issued from the bench by U.S. District Judge William G. Young, labeled the NIH’s actions as “palpable” racial and LGBTQ discrimination, saying he had “never seen anything like this” in his four decades on the bench.
“This represents racial discrimination and discrimination against America’s LGBTQ community. That’s what this is,” Judge Young declared in open court. “I would be blind not to call it out.”
Grants Axed Without Evidence, Judge Says
At the heart of the dispute are hundreds of cancellation letters sent by NIH in March—terminating funding for programs tied to vaccines, transgender health, DEI, pandemic response, and environmental research. According to the judge, those letters were devoid of supporting evidence, amounting to little more than ipse dixit—a Latin phrase meaning “because I said so.”
“Looking at these letters… there’s no support,” Judge Young said. “They’re just conclusory statements.”
The judge’s dramatic oral ruling—delivered ahead of a forthcoming written opinion—allows the federal government to immediately appeal the injunction.
