Shiwali Patel
@shiwalipatel.bsky.social
She/her. Title IX civil rights attorney at National Women's Law Center; adjunct professor; survivor advocate; trans rights are women’s rights; tired mom.
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
This practice was endorsed by a Supreme Court Justice.
#KavanaughStop
#KavanaughStop
US citizen Maria Greeley, a Latina who was adopted, was walking home from work downtown when masked agents zip tied her. They said she “doesn’t look like a Greeley.” This is how the government treats people under current deportation policies.
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/15/l...
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/15/l...
November 17, 2025 at 2:01 PM
This practice was endorsed by a Supreme Court Justice.
#KavanaughStop
#KavanaughStop
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
I'm deeply sorry to everyone who is going to suffer for this. Truly, truly sorry.
November 10, 2025 at 12:21 AM
I'm deeply sorry to everyone who is going to suffer for this. Truly, truly sorry.
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
We brought together attorneys general from across the country to tell trans students: We see you. You belong here. And we will fight for you. As this school year kicks off, know that you are not alone, and we will work to make sure all schools are safe for every student.
"We Have Your Back:" A Message to Trans Students from State Attorneys General
YouTube video by National Women's Law Center
youtu.be
September 15, 2025 at 5:49 PM
We brought together attorneys general from across the country to tell trans students: We see you. You belong here. And we will fight for you. As this school year kicks off, know that you are not alone, and we will work to make sure all schools are safe for every student.
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
Transgender people are owed a retraction and apology from @wsj.com. The lie has already become canon to millions and it seems the least they could do.
September 12, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Transgender people are owed a retraction and apology from @wsj.com. The lie has already become canon to millions and it seems the least they could do.
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
This from Riley Gaines is why trans people freak out when Democrats try to carve out some compromise over sports. The politicians and activists attacking trans people are not interested in compromise! They're interested in our eradication from public life and are exploiting sports to that end
August 27, 2025 at 5:39 PM
This from Riley Gaines is why trans people freak out when Democrats try to carve out some compromise over sports. The politicians and activists attacking trans people are not interested in compromise! They're interested in our eradication from public life and are exploiting sports to that end
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
The majority may think: "We're not ruling on the legality of Trump's actions; it's just a stay." Bullshit. With the injunction stayed, Trump and McMahon will be able to effectuate their evisceration of the Department of Education and it will be impossible to put Humpty Dumpty back together.
The Supreme Court's disdain for Congress, the statutory design of agencies, and the public services they provide to millions truly astounds.
Destroying a 50-year-old Cabinet-level department may be the biggest violation of the Take Care Clause in U.S. history—and six justices simply ... don't care.
Destroying a 50-year-old Cabinet-level department may be the biggest violation of the Take Care Clause in U.S. history—and six justices simply ... don't care.
BREAKING: The Supreme Court allows the Trump administration to move forward with the abolition of the Department of Education. It gives no explanation for its order. All three liberals dissent. www.documentcloud.org/documents/25...
From Sotomayor's dissent:
From Sotomayor's dissent:
July 14, 2025 at 8:31 PM
The majority may think: "We're not ruling on the legality of Trump's actions; it's just a stay." Bullshit. With the injunction stayed, Trump and McMahon will be able to effectuate their evisceration of the Department of Education and it will be impossible to put Humpty Dumpty back together.
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
I don’t think anyone is prepared for what they just did w/ ICE.
This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion - making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA,& others combined.
It is setting up to make what’s happening now look like child’s play. And people are disappearing.
This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion - making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA,& others combined.
It is setting up to make what’s happening now look like child’s play. And people are disappearing.
July 3, 2025 at 6:58 PM
I don’t think anyone is prepared for what they just did w/ ICE.
This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion - making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA,& others combined.
It is setting up to make what’s happening now look like child’s play. And people are disappearing.
This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion - making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA,& others combined.
It is setting up to make what’s happening now look like child’s play. And people are disappearing.
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
BREAKING: The Supreme Court just ruled parents in Maryland can pull their kids out of classrooms when teachers read books w/ queer characters by claiming religious objections, in a dangerous win for right-wing extremists—enabling them to sow fear & division by stigmatizing queer & trans students.
BREAKING: Supreme Court allows Maryland parents to opt their kids out of LGBTQ+ lessons in schools
Parents in Mahmoud v. Taylor won the right to opt-out of classes where LGBTQ-themed books were taught.
www.advocate.com
June 27, 2025 at 3:41 PM
BREAKING: The Supreme Court just ruled parents in Maryland can pull their kids out of classrooms when teachers read books w/ queer characters by claiming religious objections, in a dangerous win for right-wing extremists—enabling them to sow fear & division by stigmatizing queer & trans students.
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
Trump declared June "Title IX Month" but both of his Admins have weakened Title IX's protections.
Members of the Equality Caucus & @demwomencaucus.bsky.social know: Trump doesn't care about Title IX—he only cares about attacking women & the LGBTQI+ community.
Members of the Equality Caucus & @demwomencaucus.bsky.social know: Trump doesn't care about Title IX—he only cares about attacking women & the LGBTQI+ community.
June 23, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Trump declared June "Title IX Month" but both of his Admins have weakened Title IX's protections.
Members of the Equality Caucus & @demwomencaucus.bsky.social know: Trump doesn't care about Title IX—he only cares about attacking women & the LGBTQI+ community.
Members of the Equality Caucus & @demwomencaucus.bsky.social know: Trump doesn't care about Title IX—he only cares about attacking women & the LGBTQI+ community.
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
The Trump administration is launching a sneaky new attack on civil rights protections for women, girls, people of color, and disabled people—through the Department of @energy.
June 10, 2025 at 11:02 PM
The Trump administration is launching a sneaky new attack on civil rights protections for women, girls, people of color, and disabled people—through the Department of @energy.
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
Today, our CEO Fatima Goss Graves testified in defense of trans athletes at the DOGE subcommittee’s USA Fencing hearing.
Led by Marjorie Taylor Greene, this hearing was held for the sole purpose of attacking trans people. We countered them w/facts, compassion & unwavering support of trans athletes.
Led by Marjorie Taylor Greene, this hearing was held for the sole purpose of attacking trans people. We countered them w/facts, compassion & unwavering support of trans athletes.
Fatima Goss Graves Testifying Before the DOGE Subcommittee in Defense of Trans Athletes
YouTube video by National Women's Law Center
www.youtube.com
May 7, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Today, our CEO Fatima Goss Graves testified in defense of trans athletes at the DOGE subcommittee’s USA Fencing hearing.
Led by Marjorie Taylor Greene, this hearing was held for the sole purpose of attacking trans people. We countered them w/facts, compassion & unwavering support of trans athletes.
Led by Marjorie Taylor Greene, this hearing was held for the sole purpose of attacking trans people. We countered them w/facts, compassion & unwavering support of trans athletes.
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
There’s no Alien Enemies Act exception to the Fourth Amendment.
The Justice Dept. has authorized law enforcement officers to GO INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES WITHOUT SEARCH WARRANTS if they suspect that someone is an "alien enemy"
I talked to @usatoday.com about Attorney General Bondi's "Guidance for Implementing the Alien Enemies Act," links below
I talked to @usatoday.com about Attorney General Bondi's "Guidance for Implementing the Alien Enemies Act," links below
April 25, 2025 at 2:11 PM
There’s no Alien Enemies Act exception to the Fourth Amendment.
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor — a case that goes beyond legal arguments and into the heart of what it means to build inclusive public schools, particularly for LGBTQIA+ students.
Read more: nwlc.org/why-the-supr...
Read more: nwlc.org/why-the-supr...
nwlc.org
April 21, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor — a case that goes beyond legal arguments and into the heart of what it means to build inclusive public schools, particularly for LGBTQIA+ students.
Read more: nwlc.org/why-the-supr...
Read more: nwlc.org/why-the-supr...
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
"Survivors deserve better. They deserve a government that invests in their safety, not one that strips it through manipulation and lies."
Abuse of Power: How the Trump Administration Is Undermining Survivors of Sexual Violence
We see these tactics for what they are: an attempt to assert control, silence resistance, and roll back decades of hard-won progress.
nwlc.org
April 20, 2025 at 5:31 PM
"Survivors deserve better. They deserve a government that invests in their safety, not one that strips it through manipulation and lies."
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
This month, Assigned Media got the opportunity to interview Shiwali Patel @shiwalipatel.bsky.social, a civil rights attorney and professor! Together, we discuss trans rights, women's rights, and the intersectionality of race.
Interview by Riki Wilchins @rikiwilchins.bsky.social
Interview by Riki Wilchins @rikiwilchins.bsky.social
Shiwali Patel — A Legal Defender of Trans and Women’s Rights — Assigned
Assigned Media interviews Shiwali Patel, Title IX expert, Professor of Law, and Senior Director of Safe and Inclusive Schools at the National Women’s Law Center.
www.assignedmedia.org
April 17, 2025 at 3:19 PM
This month, Assigned Media got the opportunity to interview Shiwali Patel @shiwalipatel.bsky.social, a civil rights attorney and professor! Together, we discuss trans rights, women's rights, and the intersectionality of race.
Interview by Riki Wilchins @rikiwilchins.bsky.social
Interview by Riki Wilchins @rikiwilchins.bsky.social
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
A lot of "post-left" personalities like Brand claim they were pushed away from the left but were in fact drawn to the right as a means of escaping accountability for their own actions
Russell Brand has spent the past few years aligning himself with the American right as allegations of sexual violence were made public against him. He knew he would find defenders and protection among their ranks. That should tell you everything you need to know about what the party represents
April 4, 2025 at 3:56 PM
A lot of "post-left" personalities like Brand claim they were pushed away from the left but were in fact drawn to the right as a means of escaping accountability for their own actions
Proud to announce on the first day of #SexualAssaultAwarenessMonth that we are again representing Victim Rights Law Center and Jane Doe to seek intervention in another lawsuit and to restore Title IX protections for student survivors. #TitleIX
NEW: We're filing another intervention to block enforcement of Trump’s harmful Title IX rule, which allows schools to further sweep sexual violence against students under the rug.
NWLC Makes Second Move to Protect Student Survivors and Title IX Rule Safeguards - National Women's Law Center
FORT WORTH, Texas (April 1) — On Monday, the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) filed a motion to intervene in a federal lawsuit to block enforcement of the Trump administration’s harmful 2020 Title IX rule regarding sexual harassment on school campuses. The motion, which also seeks to reinstate protections under the Biden administration’s 2024 Title […]
nwlc.org
April 1, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Proud to announce on the first day of #SexualAssaultAwarenessMonth that we are again representing Victim Rights Law Center and Jane Doe to seek intervention in another lawsuit and to restore Title IX protections for student survivors. #TitleIX
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
Brief: FILED ✅
Jessica’s ex-boyfriend sued her for defamation after she posted online about being raped by him. But New York’s anti-SLAPP law protects survivors against this type of retaliation from abusers.
We led an amicus brief explaining exactly why: nwlc.org/dont-slapp-m...
Jessica’s ex-boyfriend sued her for defamation after she posted online about being raped by him. But New York’s anti-SLAPP law protects survivors against this type of retaliation from abusers.
We led an amicus brief explaining exactly why: nwlc.org/dont-slapp-m...
Don’t SLAPP Me: NWLC Leads Amicus Brief in Support of New York Student Survivor Against Retaliatory Defamation Suit
If the appellate court allows this decision to stand, it will be easier for sexual assailants to weaponize the New York courts against their victims, and survivors in New York will continue to be sile...
nwlc.org
April 1, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Brief: FILED ✅
Jessica’s ex-boyfriend sued her for defamation after she posted online about being raped by him. But New York’s anti-SLAPP law protects survivors against this type of retaliation from abusers.
We led an amicus brief explaining exactly why: nwlc.org/dont-slapp-m...
Jessica’s ex-boyfriend sued her for defamation after she posted online about being raped by him. But New York’s anti-SLAPP law protects survivors against this type of retaliation from abusers.
We led an amicus brief explaining exactly why: nwlc.org/dont-slapp-m...
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
"If this many different judges in this many different courts appointed by this many different presidents are blocking this many policies promulgated by the same president, we ought to be able to agree that the problem is the policies—not the judges."
www.stevevladeck.com/p/136-settin...
www.stevevladeck.com/p/136-settin...
136. Setting the Record Straight on the Anti-Trump Injunctions
President Trump and his supporters are mounting increasingly noisy attacks on lower-court judges. But their claims combine shameless hypocrisy with shameful distortions of the facts.
www.stevevladeck.com
March 31, 2025 at 11:26 AM
"If this many different judges in this many different courts appointed by this many different presidents are blocking this many policies promulgated by the same president, we ought to be able to agree that the problem is the policies—not the judges."
www.stevevladeck.com/p/136-settin...
www.stevevladeck.com/p/136-settin...
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
Con law prof here. This shit is WILD. "Plenary authority, derived from Article II and the mandate of the electorate" to disappear whoever the state deems a terrorist is not a fucking thing in any kind of constitutional democracy. It's unvarnished tyranny.
Hooooo boy: "The Executive Branch hereby notifies the Court that no further information will be provided in response to the Court’s March 18, 2025 Minute Order based on the state secrets privilege." storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
March 25, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Con law prof here. This shit is WILD. "Plenary authority, derived from Article II and the mandate of the electorate" to disappear whoever the state deems a terrorist is not a fucking thing in any kind of constitutional democracy. It's unvarnished tyranny.
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
I don’t see how, unless our entire profession stands shoulder-to-shoulder in unity, we successfully push back against this effort to break our profession and our democracy.
Cowering & compromising won’t work. He is attacking us for the success of our work.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
Cowering & compromising won’t work. He is attacking us for the success of our work.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court
MEMORANDUM FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY SUBJECT: Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court Lawyers
www.whitehouse.gov
March 22, 2025 at 5:32 PM
I don’t see how, unless our entire profession stands shoulder-to-shoulder in unity, we successfully push back against this effort to break our profession and our democracy.
Cowering & compromising won’t work. He is attacking us for the success of our work.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
Cowering & compromising won’t work. He is attacking us for the success of our work.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
It’s a long “memorandum,” but it’s essentially telling Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem to go after lawyers who challenge the federal government — which is many lawyer’s jobs.
It’s basically a catch-all “let’s Paul Weiss whoever pisses us off” memo.
It’s basically a catch-all “let’s Paul Weiss whoever pisses us off” memo.
March 22, 2025 at 2:44 AM
It’s a long “memorandum,” but it’s essentially telling Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem to go after lawyers who challenge the federal government — which is many lawyer’s jobs.
It’s basically a catch-all “let’s Paul Weiss whoever pisses us off” memo.
It’s basically a catch-all “let’s Paul Weiss whoever pisses us off” memo.
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
Why is GOP dismantling Dept of Ed?
Because, as Jason Stanley's book says, "Erasing History is How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future."
That is why we must continue to support educators who teach people's history & critical literacy in K-12.
⬇️ www.zinnedproject.org/materials/er...
Because, as Jason Stanley's book says, "Erasing History is How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future."
That is why we must continue to support educators who teach people's history & critical literacy in K-12.
⬇️ www.zinnedproject.org/materials/er...
Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future
Book — Non-fiction. By Jason Stanley. 2024. 256 pages. A global call to action for those who wish to preserve democracy — in the United States and abroad — before it is too late.
www.zinnedproject.org
March 21, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Why is GOP dismantling Dept of Ed?
Because, as Jason Stanley's book says, "Erasing History is How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future."
That is why we must continue to support educators who teach people's history & critical literacy in K-12.
⬇️ www.zinnedproject.org/materials/er...
Because, as Jason Stanley's book says, "Erasing History is How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future."
That is why we must continue to support educators who teach people's history & critical literacy in K-12.
⬇️ www.zinnedproject.org/materials/er...
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
Let us be clear: Donald Trump and Linda McMahon do not have unilateral authority to dismantle the Department of Education. That would require an act of Congress.
However, he can still do a LOT of damage to sabotage the Department. And that’s exactly what he’s trying to do.
However, he can still do a LOT of damage to sabotage the Department. And that’s exactly what he’s trying to do.
BREAKING: Trump just signed an executive order that illegally attempts to dismantle the Department of Education, a staple of opportunity, equity and accessibility in this country.
This is a direct attack on our children, public education, and on our democracy.
nwlc.org/press-releas...
This is a direct attack on our children, public education, and on our democracy.
nwlc.org/press-releas...
NWLC on Trump’s Order to Destroy Public Education - National Women's Law Center
WASHINGTON, DC (March 20) – President Trump’s executive order today to gut the Department of Education is an attack on women, children, workers, educators, and families. It also attempts to fulfill a ...
nwlc.org
March 20, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Let us be clear: Donald Trump and Linda McMahon do not have unilateral authority to dismantle the Department of Education. That would require an act of Congress.
However, he can still do a LOT of damage to sabotage the Department. And that’s exactly what he’s trying to do.
However, he can still do a LOT of damage to sabotage the Department. And that’s exactly what he’s trying to do.
Reposted by Shiwali Patel
"Firing and subverting the workers who ensure students have access to the programs and resources they need to access quality education and develop into their best selves is, quite frankly, despicable." nwlc.org/i-used-to-wo...
I Used to Work at The Department of Education. That's why I know How Bad Trump's Project 2025-Backed Firings Will Be.
Destroying this agency is more than reckless; it’s an attack on our democracy itself.
nwlc.org
March 18, 2025 at 7:36 PM
"Firing and subverting the workers who ensure students have access to the programs and resources they need to access quality education and develop into their best selves is, quite frankly, despicable." nwlc.org/i-used-to-wo...