An attorney for a small, rural Michigan college says she expected lawsuits over the “Dear Colleague” letter that schools received last month from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.

The American Federation of Teachers and American Sociological Association filed one of the first lawsuits to challenge the agency’s threat to withhold federal funding from schools that teach about systemic racism or diversity-related topics. Alpena Community College legal counsel Karen Bennett shared her prediction with the school’s board of trustees at a recent meeting.

“I think colleges around the country are gathering their thoughts about what actions to take, and I’m sure we’ll see lots of development in this area in litigation,” Bennett said. “This is all subject to ongoing litigation.”

The letter was issued on February 14 with a February 28 deadline to comply.

Bennett advised Alpena’s board to take no action, stating it doesn’t apply to them because the school has no admissions policies other than accepting individuals who apply.