In a striking legal victory, Oregon's Attorney General Dan Rayfield has obtained a court order that puts a halt to the Trump administration's plans to significantly reduce the Department of Education's workforce. As reported by the Oregon Department of Justice, the new ruling blocks the administration from moving forward with layoffs affecting 50 percent of the department's employees, as well as the transfer of critical educational services.
Rayfield, who spearheaded the lawsuit alongside 20 other state attorneys general, emphasized the potential harm such actions could have inflicted on Oregon’s students and their families. "This court order is a necessary step to stop a reckless plan that would hurt Oregon students and families," Rayfield stated, as noted by the Oregon Department of Justice. The concern was particularly acute for the rural communities that could see a reduction in support for kids with disabilities if funding for special education faced disruptions. The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued the preliminary injunction today, effectively pausing the Trump administration's policy implementation and ordering the reinstatement of all employees dismissed as part of the layoffs.
The controversial direction taken by the Trump administration came after a March 20 Executive Order that directed closure of the ED, followed by an announcement on March 21 which outlined a plan for immediate layoffs within the department and transferred responsibilities like student loan management and special education services out of the department. The coalition, which includes Attorney Generals from across the nation—from California to New York and many in between—asserted in their lawsuit that the executive branch is not legally empowered to shut down an executive agency without Congressional consent.
The dismantling attempts were argued to not only be unconstitutional but in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act by the coalition. The array of programs and funding avenues authorized by Congress for the ED serve as a backbone to education infrastructure within the United States, and the abandonment of such structures by unilateral executive action stands contrary to the established legal process. The attorneys general participating in this legal challenge include those from states like Arizona, Michigan, and New Jersey, representing a wide swath of the country's education constituencies.
