The Department of Education on Thursday proposed eliminating a Trump-era regulation requiring the suspension of federal funds to colleges that restrict the activities of religious organizations on campus.
"After its thorough review, The Department today issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing to rescind a portion of the regulation related to religious student organizations because the Department believes it is not necessary in order to protect the First Amendment right to free speech and free exercise of religion given existing legal protections," the department announced on Tuesday.
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education Nassar H. Paydar contended that the Trump executive order, issued in 2019, "prescribed a novel and unduly burdensome role for the Department in investigating allegations regarding public institutions' treatment of religious student organizations."
The DOE proposed returning to the system wherein the judicial branch of government would make a determination as to whether an institution improperly restricted First Amendment rights
