Judge cites ‘irreparable harm’ to students, administration vows to appeal
A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education Thursday.
“The record abundantly reveals that defendants’ true intention is to effectively dismantle the department without an authorizing statute,” District Judge Myong Joun wrote, according to Reuters.
The plaintiffs “have provided an in-depth look into how the massive reduction in staff has made it effectively impossible for the Department to carry out its statutorily mandated functions,” Joun wrote.
Further, the lawsuits presented 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,” the judge wrote, according to the Associated Press.
The judge also mandated that the Trump administration reverse the mass layoffs in the department. However, the administration said it “will immediately challenge this on an emergency basis,” according to The Hill.
Madi Biedermann, Education Department deputy assistant secretary for communications, criticized the “far-left” judge’s decision, stating he “dramatically overstepped his authority.”
She also stated the complaints came from “biased plaintiffs,” resulting in an “injunction against the obviously lawful efforts to make the Department of Education more efficient and functional for the American people.”
“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 axe to grind. This ruling is not in the best interest of American students or families,” Biedermann stated.
The decision was issued in two combined lawsuits. One was filed by the Somerville and Easthampton school districts in Massachusetts, alongside the American Federation of Teachers and various other education organizations, while the other was brought forward by a group of 21 Democratic attorneys general, the Associated Press reported.
The plaintiffs contended that the layoffs rendered the department incapable of fulfilling its congressionally mandated responsibilities, such as supporting special education, disbursing financial aid, and enforcing civil rights laws.
AFT President Randi Weingarten called the decision “a first step to reverse this war on knowledge and the undermining of broad-based opportunity.”
In March, Trump signed an executive order directing his administration to work to shut down the Department of Education permanently, The College Fix previously reported.
He said at the signing ceremony that the department has failed to raise test scores or help schools excel.
The department announced March 11 it was cutting nearly half of its staff, which impacted all divisions and led to significant reorganization.
MORE: Harvard president takes 25% pay cut amidst funding loss due to Trump battle
IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference from Mar-a-Lago; White House/Youtube
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