March 14, 2025 Story by: Editor
A coalition of Democratic attorneys general from 20 states and the District of Columbia has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that the recent mass layoffs at the Department of Education are part of an unlawful effort to dismantle the agency.
States Allege Violation of Congressional Mandates
The lawsuit argues that by cutting nearly half of the department’s workforce, the administration is “effectively nullifying” congressional mandates requiring the agency to carry out essential functions.
“Here, where Congress has created the Department of Education, the Executive and his agencies cannot incapacitate it, absent Congressional action that directs them to do so,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit comes after the administration announced on Tuesday that approximately 1,300 Department of Education employees had been notified of their termination, with layoffs set to take effect in 90 days.
Impact on Critical Education Functions
The attorneys general warn that the mass firings will severely weaken key offices within the department, including the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which, according to the lawsuit, is losing the majority of its staff.
They further argue that the so-called Reduction in Force (RIF) will “effectively eliminate” other offices that work closely with states on education-related matters. The lawsuit also highlights immediate consequences, including technical disruptions, with an online system for grant distribution becoming inaccessible following the layoffs.
“The effective gutting of the Department of Education will result in a wide range of devastating harms for Plaintiff States and their residents that could be neither prevented nor mitigated,” the lawsuit, filed Thursday in Massachusetts federal court, states.
Ongoing Legal Battles Over Education Policies
The Department of Education has not yet responded to CNN’s request for comment.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal challenges against the administration’s education policies. Earlier this week, in a separate lawsuit, a group of attorneys general successfully obtained a court order blocking a Trump administration plan to end grant funding aimed at addressing teacher shortages in K-12 schools.
With the Department of Education facing historic staff cuts, legal battles over the administration’s education policies and funding decisions are expected to continue in the coming months.
Source: CNN Politics
