Plaintiff Statements about Decision of Judge Colleen McMahon on DOGE Video Release
For immediate release / March 23, 2026 (New York, NY) — The American Council of Learned Societies, the American Historical Association, and the Modern Language Association welcome today’s ruling by Judge Colleen McMahon allowing video footage of depositions to be published online again. The depositions are evidence in a lawsuit to restore the function and funding of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
In her ruling Judge McMahon wrote, “[T]he testimony in the videos concerns the conduct of public officials acting in their official capacities – a context in which the public interest in transparency and accountability is at its apex. . . . The subject matter of this testimony – how government officials carried out their official responsibilities – falls squarely within that core public interest.”
The following statements were issued by the plaintiffs in response:
“This decision validates our position that the publication of the videos, which document a process to destroy knowledge and access to vital public programs, was indeed in the public’s interest,” said ACLS president Joy Connolly. “We look forward to continuing the pursuit of justice in reclaiming government support for important humanities research, education, and sustainability initiatives.”
“We are pleased that this evidence, which documents the workings of DOGE and the dismantling of the National Endowment for the Humanities, will remain part of the publicly accessible historical record,” said AHA executive director Sarah Weicksel. “NEH grantees and the American public deserve transparency about the process by which the current administration terminated support for humanities education, research, and programming. The AHA remains committed to pursuing our effort to restore the NEH and the vital mission with which Congress charged it: helping to create and sustain ‘a climate encouraging freedom of thought, imagination, and inquiry’ through the humanities.”
“We are pleased to see today’s ruling in defense of the First Amendment rights of all Americans,” said MLA executive director Paula Krebs. “The depositions in this case document what had not before been documented: how DOGE worked to silence projects that tell the American story. This ruling makes clear the public’s stake in understanding the processes that resulted in the near-destruction of the NEH.”
Media Contacts:
Heather Mangrum, ACLS Director of Communications, hmangrum@acls.org
Alexandra Levy, AHA Director of Communications & Public Affairs, alevy@historians.org
Anna Chang, MLA Director of Outreach, achang@mla.org