- Judge Joun ruled that staff cuts undermine Department’s ability to enforce civil rights.
- The education workforce was halved in March; the ruling mandates reinstatement of 1,300 employees nationwide.
- Get the latest proven ETF strategies to target and profit from summer volatility before the next big market swing.
A federal judge has compelled the Trump administration to rehire more than 1,300 employees of the U.S. Department of Education. This comes after the department implemented a significant workforce reduction.
What Happened: U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston issued a preliminary injunction on Thursday that ordered the reinstatement of the dismissed employees, CNBC reports. The Department of Education had previously announced a staff reduction on March 11 that would have halved the department’s workforce.
Judge Joun stressed the necessity for the Department to be able to carry out its functions and obligations, as well as other relevant statutes as directed by Congress. The staff cuts resulted in the closure of seven out of 12 offices that enforce civil rights, safeguarding students from discrimination based on race, sex and disability.
The U.S. Department of Education, established in 1979 by former President Jimmy Carter, has faced numerous challenges over the years. Former President Ronald Reagan had called for its termination, and President Donald Trump attempted to merge it with the Labor Department during his first term, according to CNBC.
Why It Matters: In April, Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at reshaping U.S. education policy across K-12 and higher education.
These directives included promoting artificial intelligence education in schools and reformulating college accreditation standards, among others. The recent order to reinstate the dismissed employees could impact the implementation of these directives.
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