Judge blocks Trump administration's mass layoffs at the Education Department

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 11:06 AM EDT, May 22, 2025


WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order to shut down the Education Department and ordered the agency to reinstate employees who were fired in mass layoffs.

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration from carrying out two plans announced in March that sought to work toward Trump’s goal to dismantle the department. It marks a setback to one of the Republican president’s campaign promises. The injunction was requested in a lawsuit filed by the Somerville and Easthampton school districts in Massachusetts and the American Federation of Teachers, along with other education groups.

In their lawsuit, the groups said the layoffs amounted to an illegal shutdown of the Education Department. They said it 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.

In his order, Joun said the plaintiffs painted 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.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/education-department-shut-down-layoffs-576eef90c30fdaeb660f7f66644bad10

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Just breaking. Short article at post time.

Article updated.

Original article -

Updated 11:03 AM EDT, May 22, 2025


WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order to shut down the Education Department and ordered the agency to reinstate employees who were fired in mass layoffs.

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration from carrying out two plans announced in March that sought to work toward Trump’s goal to dismantle the department. It marks a setback to one of the Republican president’s campaign promises.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

1. Been A Dick Donald just can't stop winning in the courts.

[groundloop]

2. Regardless, this will still have most of the desired effect.

People aren't going to tolerate working for an employer that's in such turmoil, and little by little will find employment elsewhere. tRump's objectives will be mostly met, only it will take months instead of days.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

3. I disagree, more and more people, especially the courts,

are finally starting to wake up to this national nightmare of this criminal org. currently in the WH, but time will tell.

[riversedge]

5. It is probably a combination of your thoughts and the one above you. Parents need to know if there

schools will be able to support their kids and teachers and a on again off again Ed Dept does not ensure a comfort zone. But as you say time will tell.

[riversedge]

4. Joun ordered the Education Department to reinstate federal workers who were terminated as part of the March 11 layoff an

Good news---now it has to go through other courts.


https://apnews.com/article/education-department-shut-down-layoffs-576eef90c30fdaeb660f7f66644bad10

Joun ordered the Education Department to reinstate federal workers who were terminated as part of the March 11 layoff announcement.

That announcement led to the firing of about 1,300 people. Some Education Department employees have left through buyout offers and the termination of probationary employees, which combined with the layoffs have reduced the staff to roughly half the 4,100 the department had when Trump took office.

“Today’s order means that the Trump administration’s disastrous mass firings of career civil servants are blocked while this wildly disruptive and unlawful agency action is litigated,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which represents plaintiffs in the Somerville case.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, called the decision “a first step to reverse this war on knowledge and the undermining of broad-based opportunity.”..............................