Ruling Allows Online Publication of Deposition Videos in NEH Funding Case
For immediate release / March 23, 2026 (New York, NY) — The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), the American Historical Association (AHA), and the Modern Language Association (MLA) welcomed Judge Colleen McMahon’s decision permitting the online publication of deposition videos, which are part of a lawsuit aimed at restoring the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and its funding.
Judge McMahon’s ruling highlights the public-interest angle of the deposition footage. In the decision, she wrote that the testimony concerns the conduct of public officials acting in their official capacities, a context where transparency and accountability are at their peak: “The subject matter of this testimony – how government officials carried out their official responsibilities – falls squarely within that core public interest.”
Statements from the plaintiffs in response
- Joy Connolly, ACLS president: The decision underscores that publishing the videos documents a process seen as a threat to vital public programs, and confirms that it serves the public interest. The ACLS remains committed to pursuing justice in restoring government support for humanities research, education, and sustainability initiatives.
- Sarah Weicksel, AHA executive director: The evidence reveals the workings of DOGE and the erosion of NEH, and its ongoing availability supports transparency about the administration’s decision to terminate humanities funding. The AHA continues its effort to restore the NEH and its mission to foster freedom of thought, imagination, and inquiry through the humanities.
- Paula Krebs, MLA executive director: The ruling upholds First Amendment rights and clarifies the public’s stake in understanding the processes behind the near-destruction of the NEH, including how DOGE influenced funded projects that tell the American story.
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