Case: American Association of Physics Teachers v. National Science Foundation

1:25-cv-01923 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: June 18, 2025

Case Ongoing

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Case Summary

This case challenged the Trump Administration’s termination of over $1 billion in previously awarded scientific grants for projects that sought to expand participation of women and underrepresented groups in STEM—as mandated by Congress. These grants were administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF), created by Congress in 1950; NSF funding has since played a part in many epochal advancements of human knowledge, from MRI technology to fiber optics to the internet itself. NSF has also sponsored nearly 300 Nobel laureates. Under the Trump Administration, NSF terminated grants en masse and without alleging any wrongdoing on the part of grant recipients; terminations were justified with the boilerplate assertion that they “no longer effectuate the program goals or agency priorities.” Plaintiffs alleged that the grant terminations thus violated the Administrative Procedure Act, the separation of powers, the Spending Clause, the Appropriations Clause, and the Due Process Clause.

Represented by Democracy Forward and the Norton Law Firm, plaintiffs, several educational and labor organizations, filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on June 18, 2025. The lawsuit named the NSF and its Director as defendants. Plaintiffs sought a declaration that the Trump Administration’s mass grant terminations were unlawful; a preliminary and permanent injunction barring the NSF from continuing to terminate grants and withhold grant funding; an order mandating NSF “timely process award applications using lawful criteria”; and attorneys’ fees. The case was assigned to Judge Jia Michelle Cobb.

On June 23, 2025, plaintiffs filed a motion requesting a preliminary injunction.

This case is ongoing.

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Summary Authors

Matt Petrillo (6/25/2025)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70576237/parties/american-association-of-physics-teachers-inc-v-national-science/

Attorney for Plaintiff

Bressler, Steven Y. (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Bressler, Steven Y. (District of Columbia)

Attorney Contact Information via CourtListener

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

	Document
1 1:25-cv-01923	Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief	June 18, 2025	June 18, 2025 Complaint

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Resources

Title	Description		External URL Date / External URL
EO 14151 - Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing President Donald Trump	Directing the Office of Management and Budget to coordinate the termination of all diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI and DEIA) programs in the federal government.	Jan. 20, 2025	Jan. 20, 2025 https://www.federalregister.gov/...

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Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70576237/american-association-of-physics-teachers-inc-v-national-science/

Last updated July 7, 2025, 9:50 a.m.

ECF Number	Description	Date	Link Date / Link
1	COMPLAINT against NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, BRIAN STONE ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-11764730) filed by WOMEN IN ENGINEERING PROACTIVE NETWORK, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICS TEACHERS, INC., AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION, INC., INTERNATIONAL UNION, UNITED AUTOMOBILE, AEROSPACE, AND AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT WORKERS OF AMERICA. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons, # 3 Summons, # 4 Summons, # 5 Summons)(Bressler, Steven) (Entered: 06/18/2025) 1 Civil Cover Sheet View on PACER 2 Summons View on PACER 3 Summons View on PACER 4 Summons View on PACER 5 Summons View on PACER	June 18, 2025	June 18, 2025 Clearinghouse
	NOTICE OF NEW CASE ERROR regarding 1 Complaint,,. The following error(s) need correction: Noncompliance with LCvR 5.1(c). Please file a Notice of Errata stating the error and attach the corrected initiating pleading to include the name & full residence address of each party and file using the event Errata. COMPLIANCE DEADLINE is by close of business today. This case will not proceed any further until all errors are satisfied. (znmw)	June 20, 2025	June 20, 2025 PACER
	Notice of Error- New Case	June 20, 2025	June 20, 2025 PACER
2	ERRATA of the Complaint by AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICS TEACHERS, INC., AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION, INC., INTERNATIONAL UNION, UNITED AUTOMOBILE, AEROSPACE, AND AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT WORKERS OF AMERICA, WOMEN IN ENGINEERING PROACTIVE NETWORK re 1 Complaint,,. (Attachments: # 1 Complaint)(Bressler, Steven) (Entered: 06/20/2025) 1 Complaint View on RECAP	June 20, 2025	June 20, 2025 RECAP
3	MOTION for Preliminary Injunction by AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICS TEACHERS, INC., AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION, INC., INTERNATIONAL UNION, UNITED AUTOMOBILE, AEROSPACE, AND AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT WORKERS OF AMERICA, WOMEN IN ENGINEERING PROACTIVE NETWORK. (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support, # 2 Proposed Order, # 3 Declaration of Rochelle L. Williams, # 4 Declaration of Beth A. Cunningham, # 5 Declaration of Kelly Mack, # 6 Declaration of Scott W. Delaney, # 7 Declaration of Neal Sweeney, # 8 Declaration of Gina Quan, # 9 Declaration of Scott Franklin, # 10 Declaration of Elizabeth Litzler, # 11 Declaration of Todd Wolfson, # 12 Declaration of Felice J. Levine, # 13 Declaration of Anne-Marie Nunez, # 14 Declaration of Megan Bang, # 15 Declaration of James Adams, # 16 Declaration of Dr. Charles Thompson, # 17 Declaration of Marianna Zhang)(Bressler, Steven) (Entered: 06/23/2025) 1 Memorandum in Support View on PACER 2 Proposed Order View on PACER 3 Declaration of Rochelle L. Williams View on PACER 4 Declaration of Beth A. Cunningham View on PACER 5 Declaration of Kelly Mack View on PACER 6 Declaration of Scott W. Delaney View on PACER 7 Declaration of Neal Sweeney View on PACER 8 Declaration of Gina Quan View on PACER 9 Declaration of Scott Franklin View on PACER 10 Declaration of Elizabeth Litzler View on PACER 11 Declaration of Todd Wolfson View on PACER 12 Declaration of Felice J. Levine View on PACER 13 Declaration of Anne-Marie Nunez View on PACER 14 Declaration of Megan Bang View on PACER 15 Declaration of James Adams View on PACER 16 Declaration of Dr. Charles Thompson View on PACER 17 Declaration of Marianna Zhang View on PACER	June 23, 2025	June 23, 2025 RECAP
	Case Assigned/Reassigned	June 24, 2025	June 24, 2025 PACER
	Case Assigned/Reassigned	June 24, 2025	June 24, 2025 PACER
	Case Assigned to Judge Jia M. Cobb. (znmw)	June 24, 2025	June 24, 2025 PACER
	Case Assigned to Judge Jia M. Cobb. (znmw)	June 24, 2025	June 24, 2025 PACER
4	SUMMONS (4) Issued Electronically as to NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, BRIAN STONE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(znmw) (Entered: 06/24/2025)	June 24, 2025	June 24, 2025 PACER
4	SUMMONS (4) Issued Electronically as to NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, BRIAN STONE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(znmw) (Entered: 06/24/2025)	June 24, 2025	June 24, 2025 PACER
5	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Tsuki Hoshijima, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-11775810. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICS TEACHERS, INC., AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION, INC., INTERNATIONAL UNION, UNITED AUTOMOBILE, AEROSPACE, AND AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT WORKERS OF AMERICA, WOMEN IN ENGINEERING PROACTIVE NETWORK. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration, # 2 Exhibit Certificate of Good Standing)(Bressler, Steven) (Entered: 06/25/2025)	June 25, 2025	June 25, 2025 PACER
6	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Nathan Walker, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-11775825. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICS TEACHERS, INC., AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION, INC., INTERNATIONAL UNION, UNITED AUTOMOBILE, AEROSPACE, AND AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT WORKERS OF AMERICA, WOMEN IN ENGINEERING PROACTIVE NETWORK. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration, # 2 Exhibit Certificate of Good Standing)(Bressler, Steven) (Entered: 06/25/2025)	June 25, 2025	June 25, 2025 PACER
	Order on Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice	June 30, 2025	June 30, 2025 PACER
7	Summons Returned Executed as to Federal Defendant	July 1, 2025	July 1, 2025 PACER
8	Summons Returned Executed as to Federal Defendant	July 1, 2025	July 1, 2025 PACER
9	Summons Returned Executed as to U.S. Attorney General	July 1, 2025	July 1, 2025 RECAP
10	Summons Returned Executed as to US Attorney	July 1, 2025	July 1, 2025 PACER
11	Notice of Appearance	July 1, 2025	July 1, 2025 PACER
12	Extension of Time to File Response/Reply	July 2, 2025	July 2, 2025 RECAP
	Order on Motion for Extension of Time to File Response/Reply AND Set/Reset Deadlines	July 2, 2025	July 2, 2025 PACER
13	Notice of Appearance	July 3, 2025	July 3, 2025 PACER

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