Nearly two dozen Democratic attorneys general sued the Trump administration Thursday, seeking to halt an effort to lay off half of the Department of Education‘s workforce.
The suit comes two days after the federal agency fired more than 1,300 employees, focusing on those who track education quality and student achievement, as well as those who administer grants.
The lawsuit, in Massachusetts federal court, claims the layoffs are unconstitutional and asks the court to halt the Trump administration’s effort to dismantle the department. President Trump has said he intends for Education Secretary Linda McMahon — a former wrestling executive who served as Small Business Administrator during his first term — to be the last person to hold that job before shuttering the 45-year-old agency, which would require an act of Congress.
“This administration may claim to be stopping waste and fraud, but it is clear that their only mission is to take away the necessary services, resources, and funding that students and their families need,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in announcing the suit, which names Mr. Trump, McMahon and the Education Department as defendants.
James said the layoffs will harm in particular students from low-income families or who have disabilities.
“This outrageous effort to leave students behind and deprive them of a quality education is reckless and illegal,” James said.
“This administration may claim to be stopping waste and fraud, but it is clear that their only mission is to take away the necessary services, resources, and funding that students and their families need,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in announcing the suit, which names Mr. Trump, McMahon and the Education Department as defendants.
The Education Department’s deputy assistant secretary for communications, Madi Biedermann, said in a statement to CBS News that “President Trump was elected with a mandate from the American public to return education authority to the states.”
“The Department of Education’s reduction in force (RIF) was implemented carefully and in compliance with all applicable regulations and laws. They are strategic, internal-facing cuts that will not directly impact students and families. No employees working on the FAFSA, student loan servicing, and Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title funds – including formula and discretionary grants programs – were impacted,” Biedermann said. “No employees in the Office of Special Education Programs or the Rehabilitation Services Administration who serve children with disabilities were impacted.”
Biedermann said the layoffs comply with federal regulation and employees’ collective bargaining agreement, and that the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights “will continue to investigate complaints and vigorously enforce federal civil rights laws.”
New York is joined in the suit by Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont and the District of Columbia.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said the White House doesn’t have the authority to dismantle the Education Department.
“Neither President Trump nor his Secretary have the power to demolish a congressionally-created department, and as Attorney General but most importantly as a mom, I will continue to hold this Administration accountable for illegal actions that harm our residents and economy,” Campbell said.
Democratic attorneys general have filed lawsuits frequently in the earliest weeks of the new Trump administration, challenging a flurry of executive orders and shifts in federal policy.
Several of the states have already challenged other changes in education policy, including a March 6 suit, also filed in Massachusetts, seeking to stop a cutback in grant programing for teachers.
That suit is pending.
