On May 22nd, a federal district judge in the United States issued an order to temporarily suspend President Trump’s executive order to close the Department of Education and halt the plan to lay off half of its employees. This decision temporarily impedes the government’s process of downsizing the federal education structure.
According to a report by The Hill, Judge Myong Joun, who presided over the case, stated that the plaintiffs “detailed the large-scale layoffs, which could prevent the Department of Education from carrying out its duties properly.” He requested the Department of Education to reinstate the positions of the laid-off employees and to halt the transfer of student loan and disability student service functions out of the Department of Education.
This lawsuit was jointly filed by two school districts in Massachusetts – Somerville and Easthampton, as well as the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and other organizations. The ruling also mentioned that the layoffs affected the operation of the Federal Student Aid system (FAFSA), causing delays in the disbursement of some funding and resulting in losses for students.
In response, Madi Biedermann, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications at the Department of Education, stated that the government will “file an emergency appeal immediately.” She criticized the ruling as “an injunction issued by a leftist judge based on the plaintiffs’ complaint,” emphasizing that President Trump and the Education Secretary confirmed by Congress have the legal authority to reform federal agencies.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon, in an interview with Fox News, also stated that the reform has been carried out in accordance with the law from the beginning. She will cooperate with the appeal process and continue to advance the restructuring plan of the Department of Education.
Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, welcomed the ruling. She believes that it corrects legal disputes in the government’s reform process and sees it as “an important step towards ensuring educational equity.”
Currently, according to the law, the formal dissolution of the Department of Education still requires congressional legislation. The goal of the Trump administration is to streamline the size and functions of the department before legislation is passed by Congress and to promote comprehensive reform.
Audience, do you think the federal government should continue to oversee education? Is Trump’s direction of reform pragmatic adjustment or does it weaken fairness?
【Special Report】Production Team