This appeal originated in the District Court for the District of Kansas, involving a dispute between several states and the U.S. Department of Education. The states, joined by various amici curiae including civil liberties and policy organizations, had appealed a lower court decision. The case reached the Tenth Circuit as Appellate Case 24-3094. Rather than proceeding to a full briefing and oral argument on the merits of the underlying constitutional or statutory claims, the parties filed a joint stipulation requesting that the appeal be dismissed.
The court addressed the matter solely on the basis of the parties' Stipulation of Dismissal. The court construed this stipulation as a formal motion to voluntarily dismiss the appeal pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 42(b). The court found no legal barrier to granting the motion and, citing both the Federal Rule and Tenth Circuit Rule 27.5(A)(9), granted the request. The court did not address the substantive legal arguments or the merits of the case, as the voluntary dismissal procedure allows parties to end the litigation at this stage by mutual agreement.
The appellate case is now dismissed, meaning the Tenth Circuit will not issue a ruling on the merits of the dispute between the states and the Department of Education. The district court's original judgment remains in effect as if the appeal had never been filed. The parties are responsible for their own legal costs incurred during the appellate process. The dismissal leaves the underlying legal questions regarding the Department of Education's actions unresolved by the federal appellate courts.
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