Twenty states and Washington, D.C. have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for its decision to remove more than 1,300 Education Department employees.
The lawsuit follows Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announcing a “reduction in force” reflecting the department’s “commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers.”
The lawsuit, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, argues that the department’s reduction in force (RIF) “is not supported by any actual reasoning or specific determinations about how to eliminate purported waste in the Department — rather, the RIF is part and parcel of President Trump’s and Secretary McMahon’s opposition to the Department of Education’s entire existence.”
“My office and a group of AGs are suing to stop Trump’s illegal attempt to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education,” James said of the lawsuit on X. “We’re not going to sit by while this administration attempts to leave tens of millions of students behind and strip away their access to a quality education.”
“The Department of Education is essential,” the filing states. “Plaintiff States rely on the Department for an extraordinary array of programs. The Department provides funds for low-income children and students with disabilities. It enforces the laws that prohibit discrimination in education. It administers federal student aid programs. These are just some of the key ways the congressional acts governing the existence and responsibilities of the Department are deeply intertwined with the education systems in Plaintiff States.”
Massachusetts, Hawaii, California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin joined New York in the lawsuit.
