Latest news with #TexasNAACP
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Closing of Dallas DOE regional office halts all services to Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, union says
The Brief Eleven Democratic senators are demanding an investigation into the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, warning the cuts could have "disastrous consequences on the education system." Part of the cuts included closing the regional office in Dallas, which serves all public school students in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The union representing local federal workers says all work done out of the North Texas DOE district has stopped. President Donald Trump says student loan services will move to the Small Business Administration, and other services — like the special education administration — will be absorbed by other federal agencies. DALLAS - Eleven Democratic senators have sent a letter to the U.S. acting inspector general, demanding an investigation into the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. The lawmakers warn the cuts could have "disastrous consequences on the education system." The recent cuts are already impacting services in North Texas. What we know The future of the DOE remains in legal limbo. The Texas NAACP is the latest organization to file a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's executive order to dismantle the DOE. In a statement, Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe said, "We will vigorously oppose this unconstitutional overreach and defend every student's right to equal educational opportunity." By the numbers When President Trump took office, there were 4,100 DOE workers. As of Friday, the department has shrunk to about half. Local perspective Part of the cuts included closing the regional office in Dallas, which serves all public school students in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. On Tuesday, the union representing federal workers rallied outside the now-closed Downtown Dallas office, along with Environmental Protection Agency employees who are also worried about losing their jobs. Seria Smith is the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 252 Union. She says all work done out of the North Texas DOE district has stopped. "What happens to the college students in the state of Texas that are applying for student loans? What happens to the college and universities filing for eligibility for Title IV funds to make sure their students can qualify for federal student aid? All of that work has stopped," she said. What they're saying Constitutional law attorney David Coale is not involved in this case. "At some point, they're going to have to do something to kind of coordinate all these separate lawsuits filed by all these organizations, like the NAACP," he said. Coale says it's a very delicate situation. "The administration is correct that as the CEO, as the chief executive, Mr. Trump can appoint who he wants to lead the agency and can set priorities for the agency. He can't undo acts of Congress," he said. "He can't get rid of the department entirely or repeal all laws. So somewhere in the middle is where those two principles come together." What's next President Trump says student loan services will move to the Small Business Administration, and other services — like the special education administration — will be absorbed by other federal agencies. The Source Information from this article comes from national news coverage, the Texas NAACP, Constitutional law attorney David Coale and previous FOX 4 coverage.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas NAACP joins federal lawsuit over U.S. Education Department shutdown
The Texas branch of the NAACP has joined a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Education Department and Education Secretary Linda McMahon, arguing that President Donald Trump's order to begin dismantling the federal agency violates the Constitution. The lawsuit comes amid uncertainty about how the department's functions — including processing of school-related civil rights complaints and disbursement of funds meant to aid high-need children — will continue after Trump's March 20 order to begin shuttering the 45-year-old department. The order came after the federal government earlier this month closed Education Department offices around the nation — including one in Dallas — and slashed the federal workforce across the country, including in Texas. The Texas NAACP chapter joins the lawsuit alongside other state chapters and the national organization as well as the National Education Association and three individual plaintiffs from Maryland. The Texas chapter represents more than 100 units of the NAACP statewide. The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Maryland, asserts Trump's action exceeds presidential authority and threatens the protection of students' civil rights in schools. According to the lawsuit, the Lubbock chapter of the NAACP hasn't received any information about how complaints regarding racial harassment of Black students in West Texas school districts will be handled after the closure of the Office for Civil Rights satellite in Dallas, which was investigating the cases. The Texas NAACP also has a pending discrimination complaint about the University of Texas' "The Eyes of Texas" song over claims it subjects students to a hostile environment. "The Office of Civil Rights provides a free, confidential forum for addressing educational discrimination," said Gary Bledsoe, president of the Texas NAACP. "Its elimination would leave countless Texans without recourse against hostility and harassment in educational settings." The Texas NAACP said in a statement that Texas has a history of requiring federal intervention to address discrimination. The lawsuit also includes individual Maryland-based plaintiffs who have pending civil rights complaints or were concerned that shuttering the department would impede services their children received through federal funding. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas NAACP joins lawsuit over federal Education Department shutdown
