UC Berkeley Professors Sue Trump Administration in Landmark Free Speech Case

UC Berkeley Faculty Sues Trump Administration Over Research Funding Cuts University of California, Berkeley faculty members have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration and several federal agencies, alleging that cuts to research funding are unconstitutional and violate their free speech rights. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, centers on the termination of a nearly $250,000 grant to study the migration patterns of Greek Orthodox Christians in 19th-century Turkey. Christine Philliou, a UC Berkeley professor, described receiving a letter from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) terminating the grant. She stated, "The whole thing was very confusing to us because we weren't sure if this was really a termination." The NEH letter cited the administration's repurposing of funding allocations as the reason for the termination. Claudia Polski, a UC Berkeley law professor representing the faculty, argues that the termination is unconstitutional and a violation of free speech. A White House spokesperson countered that research grants are not a government entitlement guaranteed by the First Amendment. The lawsuit is seeking class-action certification to include other UC researchers who have faced similar funding cuts. Legal analyst Steven Clark notes that the Trump administration will likely argue that each grant should be considered individually, not as a class action. The case's outcome will have significant implications for academic freedom and federal funding of research.