The Trump administration has instructed Head Start grant applicants to avoid dozens of words — including "race," "women," and "disability" — according to court filings. Plaintiffs say HHS provided a Wisconsin director a discouraged-word list of nearly 200 terms and told a tribal program to cut diversity and inclusion activities. The lawsuit argues the guidance conflicts with the Head Start Act’s demographic-reporting requirements and forces providers into an impossible choice. HHS declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Officials Told Head Start Applicants To Avoid Words Like “Race,” “Women” And “Disability,” Lawsuit Says
Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks during an event on prescription drug prices in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The Trump administration has instructed Head Start providers to avoid dozens of words in federal grant applications — including terms such as "race," "women," "pregnant people," and "disability" — a directive plaintiffs say could force programs to choose between complying with the Head Start Act and following new departmental guidance.
Background
Court filings by a coalition of Head Start providers and parent groups say the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told a Head Start director in Wisconsin to remove those terms from a grant application. The director later received a list of nearly 200 discouraged words that reportedly included "Black," "Native American," "disability," "women," and "Tribal."
Details From Court Filings
The filings, filed in an April lawsuit by parent groups and Head Start associations in Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, allege HHS and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are unlawfully dismantling Head Start by imposing the guidance. Plaintiffs say the administration links many of the discouraged words to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and is directing grantees to avoid DEI-related language and activities.
"This has put me in an impossible situation," wrote the unnamed Wisconsin director in the court filing. She said including the terms as required by the Head Start Act could put her grant at risk if HHS enforces its guidance, while omitting them could expose her to legal penalties for failing to meet statutory reporting requirements.
Alleged Effects On Programs
Plaintiffs’ attorneys say the guidance has generated widespread confusion. One tribal Head Start program on a reservation in Washington state says it was ordered to cut "all Diversity and Inclusion-related activities," suspend staff training on supporting autistic children and those with trauma, and stop prioritizing tribal members for enrollment — actions the filings say conflict with explicit allowances in the Head Start Act.
Legal And Administrative Context
The Head Start program, which serves infants, toddlers and young children from low-income families, receives most of its funding from the federal government. Plaintiffs contend the discouraged-word guidance conflicts with statutory duties to collect demographic information. HHS declined to comment on pending litigation.
Advocates warn that centers and grantees may preemptively avoid legally required activities or common program practices for fear of losing funding or facing administrative penalties. The filings also recall earlier disruptions after President Trump took office, when a brief attempt to freeze federal grants and subsequent funding delays prompted a Government Accountability Office finding that those delays violated the Impoundment Control Act.
Note: The Associated Press’ education coverage receives support from private foundations; AP retains sole responsibility for content.
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