Minnesota among states suing to stop ‘dismantling’ of Department of Education
Minnesota will join a coalition of states suing to block the Trump administration from following through on mass layoffs across the U.S. Department of Education, state Attorney General Keith Ellison said.
The lawsuit filed in Massachusetts federal court on Thursday follows the Department of Education’s announcement this week that it would place nearly 1,400 employees on administrative leave.
Ellison joined 21 other attorneys general in the lawsuit, which argues staff reductions have only served to undermine the statutory functions of a department that is authorized by Congress.
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Education Secretary Linda McMahon acknowledged that the firings were the “first step” toward a “total shutdown” of the department. President Donald Trump has also stated his intention to wind down the agency, calling it a “con job.”
In addition to shaping federal education policy, the agency provides support for special education and students with disabilities, investigates reports of discrimination and sexual assault in schools, and makes financial aid available for college students.
Despite staff cuts this year that have amounted to nearly half of the DOE’s workforce, McMahon said the agency would continue to deliver its core functions, such as distributing federal aid to schools, managing student loans and overseeing Pell grants.
But Ellison and other attorneys general argue the layoffs and voluntary resignations have already resulted in the closure of several regional hubs for the DOE’s Office of Civil Rights and have hamstrung administrative functions.
“The [reduction in force] has so severely impaired the Department of Education that it can no longer function, and cannot comply with its statutory requirements,” the lawsuit states.
Ellison warned any effort to dismantle the DOE will have wide-ranging detrimental effects on Minnesota schools and students.
“I’m joining my fellow attorneys general to hold [Trump] accountable and to protect the tens of millions of American students — not to mention their families and their teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals — who rely on the Department for high-quality education and the support they need to succeed in school,” Ellison said in a statement.