Introduction to the Trump Administration’s Request
The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to intervene in a case involving mass layoffs at the Education Department. This move is part of the administration’s broader plan to dismantle the agency, a key campaign promise made by President Donald Trump. The request comes after a lower court blocked the layoffs, effectively stalling the administration’s efforts to wind down the department.
Background on the Case
The case began when the Trump administration announced plans to lay off nearly 1,400 Education Department employees as part of its effort to streamline the agency and eliminate discretionary functions. The layoffs were challenged in court by the Somerville and Easthampton school districts in Massachusetts, the American Federation of Teachers, and other education groups, as well as by a coalition of 21 Democratic attorneys general. These groups argued that the layoffs would leave the department unable to carry out its responsibilities, including supporting special education, distributing financial aid, and enforcing civil rights laws.
The Lower Court’s Ruling
U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, issuing a preliminary injunction that reversed the layoffs and put the broader plan to dismantle the Education Department on hold. Judge Joun found that the layoffs would "likely cripple the department" and prevent it from carrying out its duties as required by Congress. The administration appealed this decision, but a federal appeals court refused to put the order on hold while the appeal was pending.
The Administration’s Appeal to the Supreme Court
The Justice Department has now asked the Supreme Court to intervene, arguing that Judge Joun exceeded his authority in issuing the injunction. Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote that the judge was substituting his own policy preferences for those of the Trump administration, which has made it a priority to shut down the Education Department. Sauer noted that the Supreme Court had previously blocked a similar order by Judge Joun seeking to keep in place Education Department teacher-training grants.
The Implications of the Case
The case has significant implications for the future of the Education Department and the administration’s ability to carry out its policy priorities. If the Supreme Court allows the layoffs to proceed, it could pave the way for the administration to dismantle the department and transfer its functions to other agencies. On the other hand, if the court upholds the lower court’s ruling, it could block the administration’s plans and preserve the Education Department’s role in supporting education and enforcing civil rights laws.
The Education Department’s Current Status
Education Department employees who were targeted by the layoffs have been on paid leave since March, according to a union that represents some of the agency’s staff. None of these employees have been allowed to return to work, and without the lower court’s order, they were scheduled to be terminated. The administration’s plan to wind down the department has been on hold since the lower court’s ruling, and it remains to be seen how the Supreme Court will ultimately decide the case.
Conclusion
The Trump administration’s request to the Supreme Court to allow mass layoffs at the Education Department is a significant development in the ongoing debate over the future of the agency. The case has implications not only for the Education Department but also for the administration’s broader policy priorities and its ability to carry out its campaign promises. As the case moves forward, it will be important to watch how the Supreme Court decides the issue and what the ultimate outcome will be for the Education Department and its employees.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Trump administration’s plan for the Education Department?
The Trump administration has announced plans to dismantle the Education Department and transfer its functions to other agencies. - What is the status of the Education Department employees who were targeted by the layoffs?
These employees have been on paid leave since March and have not been allowed to return to work. - What is the significance of the Supreme Court’s decision in this case?
The Supreme Court’s decision will have significant implications for the future of the Education Department and the administration’s ability to carry out its policy priorities. - What are the arguments made by the plaintiffs in the case?
The plaintiffs argue that the layoffs will leave the Education Department unable to carry out its responsibilities, including supporting special education, distributing financial aid, and enforcing civil rights laws. - What is the timeline for the case?
The case is currently pending before the Supreme Court, which will decide whether to allow the layoffs to proceed or to uphold the lower court’s ruling blocking the layoffs.By MARK SHERMAN
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to pause a court order to reinstate Education Department employees who were fired in mass layoffs as part of his plan to dismantle the agency.
The Justice Department’s emergency appeal to the high court said U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston exceeded his authority last month when he issued a preliminary injunction reversing the layoffs of nearly 1,400 people and putting the broader plan on hold.
Joun’s order has blocked one of the Republican president’s biggest campaign promises and effectively stalled the effort to wind down the department. A federal appeals court refused to put the order on hold while the administration appealed.
The judge wrote that the layoffs “will likely cripple the department.”
But Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote on Friday that Joun was substituting his policy preferences for those of the Trump administration.
The layoffs help put in the place the “policy of streamlining the department and eliminating discretionary functions that, in the administration’s view, are better left to the states,” Sauer wrote.
He also pointed out that the Supreme Court in April voted 5-4 to block Joun’s earlier order seeking to keep in place Education Department teacher-training grants.
The current case involves two consolidated lawsuits that said Trump’s plan amounted to an illegal closure of the Education Department.
One suit was filed by the Somerville and Easthampton school districts in Massachusetts along with the American Federation of Teachers and other education groups. The other suit was filed by a coalition of 21 Democratic attorneys general.
The suits argued that layoffs left the department unable to carry out responsibilities required by Congress, including duties to support special education, distribute financial aid and enforce civil rights laws.
Education Department employees who were targeted by the layoffs have been on paid leave since March, according to a union that represents some of the agency’s staff. Joun’s order prevents the department from fully terminating them, but none have been allowed to return to work, according to the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252. Without Joun’s order, the workers were scheduled to be terminated Monday.
Trump has made it a priority to shut down the Education Department, though he has acknowledged that only Congress has the authority to do that. In the meantime, Trump issued a March order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to wind it down “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.”
Trump later said the department’s functions will be parceled to other agencies, suggesting that federal student loans should be managed by the Small Business Administration and programs involving students with disabilities would be absorbed by the Department of Health and Human Services. Those changes have not yet happened.
The president argues that the Education Department has been overtaken by liberals and has failed to spur improvements to the nation’s lagging academic scores. He has promised to “return education to the states.”
Opponents note that K-12 education is already mostly overseen by states and cities.
Democrats have blasted the Trump administration’s Education Department budget, which seeks a 15% budget cut including a $4.5 billion cut in K-12 funding as part of the agency’s downsizing.
Associated Press writer Collin Binkley contributed to this report.
Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.
<p>Originally Published: June 6, 2025 at 11:51 AM EDT</p>
