Federal Appeals Court Allows Trump Administration Cuts to Education Civil Rights Staff

A federal appeals court has allowed the Trump administration to proceed with significant staff reductions in the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, overriding a lower court injunction that had blocked the layoffs. This decision follows a Supreme Court ruling earlier in the year lifting a broader injunction against layoffs across the department, which the Trump administration has sought to cut dramatically despite opposition from Democratic-led states, school districts, and teachers' unions. The Office for Civil Rights, which enforces anti-discrimination laws in schools and was facing a reduction of nearly half its 550 employees, plays a key role in protecting students with disabilities, minorities, and victims of sexual harassment or assault. The Justice Department criticized the lower court judge's refusal to lift the injunction as defying the Supreme Court's authority. While the appeals court, composed of Biden appointees, paused the injunction citing similarity to the Supreme Court's prior order, one judge cautioned that the Supreme Court's emergency ruling was "unreasoned" and might have limited impact as the case continues. The layoffs mark a significant step in the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the Education Department, which President Trump has called for shuttering, a move that only Congress can authorize.