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New York Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Dismantling Education Department
A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Trump's executive order aimed at dismantling the Education Department and ordered officials to reinstate thousands of fired employees in a ruling that marked at least a temporary setback for the president and his plans. The decision from Judge Myong J. Joun of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts was a preliminary injunction, meaning it will remain in force until the case is resolved or a higher court overturns it. The injunction was requested by a pair of school districts in Massachusetts, the American Federation of Teachers and other plaintiffs who sued Mr. Trump in March to block his executive order. Judge Joun agreed with their argument that the order and a massive round of layoffs that preceded it equated to an illegal shutdown of the agency, which only Congress can abolish. 'The record abundantly reveals that defendants' true intention is to effectively dismantle the department without an authorizing statute,' Judge Joun wrote in his order. Madi Biedermann, the Education Department's deputy assistant secretary for communications, said the administration would immediately challenge the decision while taking aim at the judge. 'Once again, a far-left judge has dramatically overstepped his authority, based on a complaint from biased plaintiffs,' Ms. Biedermann said in a statement. 'President Trump and the Senate-confirmed secretary of education clearly have the authority to make decisions about agency reorganization efforts, not an unelected judge with a political ax to grind.' Judge Joun, an Army and National Guard veteran, was a board member of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts before President Biden appointed him to the federal bench in 2022. In March, he temporarily ordered the Trump administration to release $65 million in teacher-training grants that had been suspended over Mr. Trump's efforts to root out diversity, equity and inclusion policies. While an appeals court upheld that order, the Supreme Court in April overruled Judge Joun and said that the suspension could remain in place. The administration has maintained that firing nearly half of the Education Department's employees was lawful and aimed at making the agency more efficient and functional. Linda McMahon, the education secretary, told the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday that as many as three-fourths of the roughly 2,000 staff members who had been fired at her agency had lost their jobs because of downsizing efforts overseen by Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency. About 74 workers had since been rehired, she said. Ilana Krepchin, chairwoman of the Somerville School Committee, which is one of the plaintiffs, hailed the ruling as a victory for students, teachers and families. 'Our public education system is too important to be undermined by actions that threaten our students' rights and opportunities,' Ms. Krepchin said. 'We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our students' futures remain bright.'
CNN
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Judge blocks Trump administration's mass layoffs at the Education Department
A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump's executive order to shut down the Education Department and ordered the agency to reinstate employees who were fired in mass layoffs. U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration from carrying out two plans announced in March that sought to work toward Trump's goal to dismantle the department. It marks a setback to one of the Republican president's campaign promises. The injunction was requested in a lawsuit filed by the Somerville and Easthampton school districts in Massachusetts and the American Federation of Teachers, along with other education groups. In their lawsuit, the groups said the layoffs amounted to an illegal shutdown of the Education Department. They said it left the department unable to carry out responsibilities required by Congress, including duties to support special education, distribute financial aid and enforce civil rights laws. In his order, Joun said the plaintiffs painted a 'stark picture of the irreparable harm that will result from financial uncertainty and delay, impeded access to vital knowledge on which students and educators rely, and loss of essential services for America's most vulnerable student populations.' Layoffs of that scale, he added, 'will likely cripple the Department.' Joun ordered the Education Department to reinstate federal workers who were terminated as part of the March 11 layoff announcement. The Trump administration says the layoffs are aimed at efficiency, not a department shutdown. Trump has called for the closure of the agency but recognizes it must be carried out by Congress, the government said. The administration said restructuring the agency 'may impact certain services until the reorganization is finished' but it's committed to fulfilling its statutory requirements.
CNN
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Judge blocks Trump administration's mass layoffs at the Education Department
A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump's executive order to shut down the Education Department and ordered the agency to reinstate employees who were fired in mass layoffs. U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration from carrying out two plans announced in March that sought to work toward Trump's goal to dismantle the department. It marks a setback to one of the Republican president's campaign promises. The injunction was requested in a lawsuit filed by the Somerville and Easthampton school districts in Massachusetts and the American Federation of Teachers, along with other education groups. In their lawsuit, the groups said the layoffs amounted to an illegal shutdown of the Education Department. They said it left the department unable to carry out responsibilities required by Congress, including duties to support special education, distribute financial aid and enforce civil rights laws. In his order, Joun said the plaintiffs painted a 'stark picture of the irreparable harm that will result from financial uncertainty and delay, impeded access to vital knowledge on which students and educators rely, and loss of essential services for America's most vulnerable student populations.' Layoffs of that scale, he added, 'will likely cripple the Department.' Joun ordered the Education Department to reinstate federal workers who were terminated as part of the March 11 layoff announcement. The Trump administration says the layoffs are aimed at efficiency, not a department shutdown. Trump has called for the closure of the agency but recognizes it must be carried out by Congress, the government said. The administration said restructuring the agency 'may impact certain services until the reorganization is finished' but it's committed to fulfilling its statutory requirements.
