Federal Judge Halts Trump Plan To Dismantle Education Department

US District Judge in Boston granted an injunction at the request of Democratic-led states, school districts, & teachers' unions, stopping the department from proceeding with the large-scale staff cuts

The Justice Department defended the layoffs, claiming they were part of a lawful restructuring effort

Source : PTI

A federal judge on Thursday halted the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the US Department of Education, ordering the reinstatement of over 1,300 employees laid off in a mass termination earlier this year, according to a Reuters report.

US District Judge Myong Joun in Boston granted an injunction at the request of Democratic-led states, school districts, and teachers' unions, stopping the department from proceeding with the large-scale staff cuts announced in March, which would have slashed the workforce by nearly half.

"The record abundantly reveals that defendants' true intention is to effectively dismantle the department without an authorizing statute," wrote Judge Joun, an appointee of President Joe Biden. He added that the scale of the layoffs made it “effectively impossible” for the department to fulfill its legally mandated responsibilities, the report added.

Restructuring Efforts

The Justice Department defended the layoffs, claiming they were part of a lawful restructuring effort to eliminate inefficiencies. However, the judge disagreed, stating, "This court cannot be asked to cover its eyes while the department's employees are continuously fired and units are transferred out until the department becomes a shell of itself."

In addition to reinstating the employees, the judge ordered the administration to halt implementation of President Donald Trump’s March 21 directive to transfer key functions, such as student loan oversight and special education programs, to other federal agencies.

The Trump administration immediately appealed the ruling. Education Department spokesperson Madi Biedermann criticised the decision, calling Judge Joun “an unelected judge with a political axe to grind.” White House spokesperson Harrison Fields echoed the sentiment, saying the president and his education secretary have the legal authority to reorganise the agency and calling the ruling "misguided,” the report said.