Legal Insurrection Group Presses Campaign Against DEI and Intersectionality
The Legal Insurrection Foundation and its Equal Protection Project are highlighting what they call the harmful influence of intersectionality in higher education and federal programs. The article cites three reports on intersectionality and federal funding, along with a Daily Wire piece and a radio interview. It frames the effort as a continuing fight against DEI ideology.
The Legal Insurrection Foundation and Equal Protection Project, working with Defense of Freedom Institute, produced three 2026 reports examining intersectionality and federal funding. The first appeared in April, followed by August and October updates. The October report drew coverage from the Daily Wire and was discussed in an Oct. 21 radio interview with Cornell law professor William A. Jacobson.
In that interview, Jacobson characterized intersectionality as a framework dominant on campuses that classifies people by identity group and orders them by perceived victim status; he tied it to CRT and DEI. He said the April report found roughly $230 million in federal grants, largely routed through HHS from NIH, for programming connected to intersectionality.
This campaign could intensify scrutiny of federal grants and campus programs tied to DEI or intersectionality. University administrators, faculty, and researchers receiving NIH or HHS funding may face reviews or legal challenges, while students could see changes in available programming. Taxpayers and federal agencies may also encounter renewed debate over spending priorities and oversight. The effect likely depends on how institutions and courts respond to the reports and related publicity.