Brady PieperThe Supreme Court is lifting a restriction on the Trump administration, allowing for widespread workforce reductions at the U.S. Department of Education (DOE).
The high court’s unsigned order on Monday will overrule a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the administration from implementing widespread layoffs across the DOE.
The preliminary injunction, issued in May by a federal court in Boston, barred the administration from the action and required the department to rehire any employees previously fired as a result of the administration’s efforts.
The Trump administration responded to the injunction in June, seeking assistance from the high court to lift the block preventing the president from restructuring the workforce. Now clear of the injunction, the administration may move forward with plans to layoff thousands of DOE employees.
In a 19-page opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, along with Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. The dissenting opinion notes the administration’s March 11 directive, which estimates the elimination of nearly 50% of the department’s workforce, or nearly 2,000 employees.
The March executive order also includes plans for reformations to existing special needs programs and the consolidation of federal student loan programs under the Small Business Administration.
A consortium of states, public school districts, teachers’ unions and the District of Columbia filed suits against the administration, claiming violations of both federal law and the Constitution.
While the constitutionality of the Trump administration’s education overhaul is determined by courts, the president may implement widespread layoffs at the DOE, at least temporarily.
If the president’s agenda is implemented, there will be undeniable effects to the DOE. Justice Sotomayor’s opinion warns that overhauling the department will likely result in the harm, delay or denial of educational opportunities and reduce safety across the nation’s education systems.
Despite this, the move aligns with the Trump administration’s goal to implement government-wide reforms, including cutting the federal workforce, eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion mandates and improving the efficiency of federal agencies.
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