SCOTUS clears path for Trump-era purge of Education Department staff
In a landmark decision on July 15, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted legal barriers, allowing the Trump administration to begin dismantling the Department of Education. The ruling clears the way for immediate layoffs of approximately 1,400 employees.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of three dissenters, warned the move would “unleash untold harm,” potentially denying civil rights protections and weakening Title IX and disability enforcement . 24 states and Washington, D.C., have responded by filing lawsuits, challenging the withholding of $6.8 billion in federal school funding.
The administration argues the shake-up is necessary to cut bureaucracy and rebalance federal-state education authority. Critics see it as a politically motivated assault on critical protections for marginalized students.
As federal workers are dismissed and lawsuits proceed, the battle reshapes how America educates its disadvantaged, signaling a major turning point in the role of the federal government.
Adedayo Obadina
Talksocialtalks
