Montreal Canadiens

The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) has filed a lawsuit against the state's Minority Teacher Loan (MTL) Program, arguing its race-based eligibility criteria violate the Equal Protection Clause. The program offers up to $30,000 in forgivable loans to students pursuing teaching licenses in shortage areas, such as special education, math, science, and foreign languages, but restricts eligibility to specific racial and ethnic groups, excluding otherwise qualified applicants based solely on race.

The suit, filed on behalf of Citizens Defending Liberty against the Higher Educational Aids Board and its executive secretary, follows a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling earlier this year in Rabiebna v. Higher Educational Aids Board, which struck down a similar race-based minority grant program. WILL contends the MTL Program lacks a compelling government interest to justify racial classifications and worsens the state's teacher shortage by narrowing the pool of eligible applicants. The case adds to a broader wave of legal challenges targeting race-conscious government programs nationwide.