New England educators & students brace for ICE raids, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports. Educators say that students & their families fear going to school, resulting in a decline in attendance & an increase in mental health struggles among students.

“You need stability. You need to feel safe. You need to feel secure. And when that is taken away from you, it’s extremely difficult to be successful in school.” As ICE escalates raids, educators & students in New England are worried about arrests & disruptions, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports.

The Department of Education reportedly fired nearly everyone in the office that focuses on the nation’s children with disabilities in a wave of new layoffs

A federal judge has temporarily blocked New Hampshire’s controversial anti-DEI law amid mounting legal challenges from educators & disability advocates, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports. The law could negatively affect disabled students & disability inclusion in K-12 schools & universities.

Federal judge blocks New Hampshire anti-DEI law amid disability rights concerns, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports. Legal fight intensifies as educators & advocates warn that the vague law threatens support for disabled students & could lead to loss of essential funding.

📢Join us for Killing the Story, a virtual event on Oct. 7, 1pm PT/4pm ET! Palestinian, Arab, & Muslim journalists give firsthand accounts about how media manufactures consent & silences dissent as we approach 2 years of the Israeli-imposed & U.S.-backed genocide in Gaza. tinyurl.com/killingthest...

Massachusetts plans for antisemitism education spark backlash over Anti-Defamation League’s influence, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports. State recommendations face pushback from educators & advocates who warn that the ADL’s influence may limit academic freedom & distort historical perspectives.

MA schools are reeling from Trump’s gutting of $6 million in federal grants for teacher training, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social‪ reports. Several districts are experiencing an increase in diversity among the student body, but a decline in diverse educators, pending another year of teacher shortages.

Federal cuts to teacher training programs threaten diversity & equity in Massachusetts classrooms, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports. As Massachusetts schools brace for another year of teacher shortages, federal cuts have left vital funding programs hanging by a thread.

@prismreports.org continues to do consistently responsible reporting on issues from long covid to Gaza to ICE where almost every other outlet has consistently been The Absolute Worst. Highly recommend following and supporting them if you are able.

SCOTUS is deciding whether to make it harder for all disabled people to sue for discrimination, @reinasultan.bsky.social reports. The ruling in A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools could make it harder for victims of disability discrimination to sue, despite protections under the ADA & Section 504.

New England teachers described uncertainty about the potential impact of Trump’s directive to eliminate DEI in public schools, especially on immigrant and low-income students, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports prismreports.org/2025/05/19/d...

For my latest Prism article, I spoke to teachers in New England who described uncertainty about the potential impact of Trump’s directive to eliminate DEI in public schools, especially on immigrant and low-income students prismreports.org/2025/05/19/d...

I wish "blind" wasn't used in the headline here. Disability terms, including "crippling," don't have to be used in a negative way.

Georgia passed a law on Thursday that will phase out subminimum wage for people with disabilities, adding to the growing list of states that have taken legislative action to end the decades-old practice. Read more: shrutirajkumar.substack.com/p/georgia-go...

In my new piece, I spoke with LGBTQ advocates and parents of transgender athletes on how the community is refusing to comply with Trump’s transgender sports ban. Read more: prismreports.org/2025/05/01/m...

Maine community refuses to back down from Trump’s attacks against transgender athletes, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports. Maine has remained firm in its decision to allow transgender students to participate in school sports despite threats from the Trump admin to withhold federal funding.

(1/8) In case you missed it, I am on Substack! In my first newsletter I wrote about how a President defying federal courts is not “unprecedented.” Americans have seen this constitutional crisis before–we just forgot about it. Read and subscribe at gohini.substack.com. Thread:

Two disability-focused state organizations, Disability Rights New Jersey and Disability Rights Arkansas, have paused services due to not receiving federal funds. New from me at @motherjones.com. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

One #ActuallyAutistic lawyer and self-advocate told me that she worries that parents of autistic kids might be more afraid to access services under RFK Jr.'s proposed health-data sharing plan. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) plans to collect and give Americans’ private medical records to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his massive research study on autism. Read more: open.substack.com/pub/shrutira...

If you're non-disabled and are furious about recent ableist comments, one material thing you can do is ask disabled and chronically ill people in your life if they need help with anything. They may say no and respect that, but we live in an ableist society where asking for help is hard.

Spoke to autistic people about RFK Jr's recent claims about the lives autistic kids go on to lead & the idea that autism is something that needs to be eliminated or cured “Autistic people know, we don’t need prevention. We need inclusion, awareness and acceptance" www.huffpost.com/entry/rfk-jr...

Looking to speak to trans high school athletes in Maine for a piece for Prism. DM me or message me on signal @ shrutirajkumar.98 #journorequests

Any anti-bias disability training for the police won't work, in my opinion, if some police officers in general remain quick to pull the trigger. This is devastating.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed on Thursday that the U.S. Department of Health And Human Services (HHS) will determine the “cause of autism” by September. Read more: open.substack.com/pub/shrutira...

@shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social is such an invaluable voice when it comes to covering disability issues. You should follow her and check out her new Substack!

I’m excited to share this little project I’ve been working on! I’ll be continuing my disability breaking news reporting as well as creating other disability-related content through my new Substack called Crip The Media. Subscribe below! open.substack.com/pub/shrutira...

One reason I don't refer to things falling apart as "crippled" is because of the word's origin relating to disability. Disability is value neutral, and some disabled people have reclaimed "cripple" in a positive way.

I've written 26 articles that touch on disability this year so far at @motherjones.com (and have over 10 articles in the pipeline). If you want to support my work, you can donate to my publication. secure.motherjones.com/flex/mj/key/...

White organizations have been outraged over Trump's executive order concerning diversity in the arts. But many Black arts organizations have been quiet. I interviewed Black artists and educators and got an earful about the problems with NEA, DEI and more. www.contrabandcamp.com/p/trumps-edi...

Two transgender girls in New Hampshire are the first to challenge Trump’s trans sports ban, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports. The lawsuit, which was originally filed against a state law that banned trans girls from school sports teams, is now also fighting Trump’s executive order.

Everyone should read @mattshuham.bsky.social's smart workplace angle on the rise of "know-your-rights" trainings in jobs: www.huffpost.com/entry/workpl...

I'm heartbroken by my country & this news. The department of education defended my rights as a disabled child, allowed me equal access to education through college, & is part of why I have a career. Disabled kids need the DOE www.cnbc.com/2025/03/20/t...

Becoming disabled through violence can be traumatizing on it's own. Now imagine what it's like to have no safe access to medical care and no safe shelter. That's what's happening to Palestinians in Gaza.

Our fight to protect student civil rights and save the Department of Education is a fight for the future of every disabled kid. As our President and CEO said in @nytimes.com, enforcing disabled students' civil rights changes their lives and expands possibilities. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/u...

NEW: A coalition of 16 states joined Texas in a lawsuit claiming that a federal rule that prohibits discriminating against disabled people is unconstitutional. My first freelance piece for @prismreports prismreports.org/2025/03/13/s...

Legal threat to long-standing disability law sets precedent for future civil rights attacks, advocates warn. Texas v. Becerra targets Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act after the Biden administration included gender dysphoria as a protected disability, @shruti-rajkumar.bsky.social reports.

Laying off half the staff at the Department of Education is just the start and it will hurt disabled students. If the Trump Administration closes ED, it will result in more disabled students reliant on federal benefits and stuck in institutions. youtube.com/shorts/UmkQm...

Yesterday's layoffs began the Trump Administration's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. Join our webinar tomorrow, March 13 from 1 PM - 2 PM ET to learn more and hear from education policy experts and disabled students. Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

For @motherjones.com, looking to speak to a disabled person this month who had a positive experience with pregnancy about what your OBGYN did right. My email to get in touch is [email protected]

🚨🚨🚨really excited to introduce Public Domain — an investigative, independent newsdesk I've launched w/ @jamesctobias.bsky.social & Roque Planas we will be digging deep into enviro agencies and the public lands, wildlife and natural resources they manage join us! www.publicdomain.media

Today is Disabled Day of Mourning, to honor disabled people killed by caregivers. Fellow journalists, when we write about these situations, we need to clearly call it murder, and not through a"poor caregiver" lens.

"Forced sterilization laws are a really powerful example of how violations of disabled people’s bodies and rights are baked into our legal system today.” For @motherjones.com, I reported on how disabled people continue to be forcibly sterilized. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

I was interviewed by Laid Off to discuss losing my job at HuffPost and the importance of disability reporting. Please give it a read! laid0ff.substack.com/p/laid-off-t...

Going to relaunch my long-dormant newsletter, Marginalia, as a new home for my reporting, criticism, ideas, etc., as I figure out what's next. Subscribe here: marinafang.substack.com