Trump admin settles lawsuit, agrees to restore deleted DEI, gender health web pages

The Washington State Medical Association recently announced a settlement with the Trump administration that will require the restoration of numerous public health web pages and datasets related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and gender identity. This settlement comes after the Trump administration directed the removal of hundreds of web pages and datasets that mentioned gender identity or DEI, LGBTQ+ health, racism, vaccines, opioid use, and Biden-era abortion policies from federal health websites.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) did not comment on the settlement but reiterated its commitment to removing what they call “radical gender and DEI ideology” from federal programs to ensure taxpayer dollars are used effectively.

The settlement mandates the restoration of the deleted health web pages, though there is no timeline for when they will be reposted. Once back online, this information will be accessible to doctors and patients as the administration continues to push for the termination of federal DEI programs.

The Washington State Medical Association, along with Doctors for America, filed a lawsuit against HHS and other agencies after the removal of these web pages. The lawsuit led to a temporary restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge John Bates, requiring the content to be restored while the case proceeded. The parties agreed to pause the case in August to negotiate a resolution, which ultimately resulted in this settlement.

The defendants named in the lawsuit include HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CDC Acting Director Matthew Buzzelli, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary, and HRSA Administrator Thomas J. Engels. Web pages from the FDA, NIH, HRSA, DOJ, and VA were also removed as part of the purge.

The Washington State Medical Association, representing over 13,000 health officials and medical students in Washington state, played a crucial role in pushing back against the government overreach. The Trump administration’s executive orders aimed to align federal agencies with a specific view of sex and terminate DEI initiatives.

Overall, this settlement represents a step towards restoring critical health resources and information that were wrongfully deleted, ensuring that physicians, scientists, medical professionals, and the public have access to vital information for their work and well-being.