The Supreme Court on Monday lifted an injunction against the Trump administration’s efforts to gut the Department of Education.
The move allows the administration to proceed with mass firings that slashed nearly half of the agency’s workforce in March.
The court’s three liberal justices opposed the order, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor writing in dissent.
“The Department is responsible for providing critical funding and services to millions of students and scores of schools across the country. Lifting the District Court’s injunction will unleash untold harm, delaying or denying educational opportunities and leaving students to suffer from discrimination, sexual assault, and other civil rights violations without the federal resources Congress intended,” Sotomayor wrote.
The Department of Education building in Washington, D.C., Sept. 23, 2020.
Robert Knopes/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Education Secretary Linda McMahon celebrated the decision, saying the agency will continue its reduction in workforce and efforts to return education to the states.
“Today, the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious: the President of the United States, as the head of the Executive Branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies,” McMahon said in a statement. “While today’s ruling is a significant win for students and families, it is a shame that the highest court in the land had to step in to allow President Trump to advance the reforms Americans elected him to deliver using the authorities granted to him by the U.S. Constitution.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
