Education Dept. Faces Lawsuit Over Civil Rights Office Cuts

Lawsuit Filed Against Education Department Over Cuts to Civil Rights Enforcement Office

On Friday, the Department of Education faced legal action from two parents of disabled students and a disability rights organization, protesting substantial cuts made to its Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The lawsuit alleges that the changes initiated during the Trump administration have transformed the office into a platform for discrimination, inhibiting its ability to enforce civil rights in schools effectively.

The plaintiffs contend that the recent layoffs within the Education Department hinder the OCR’s duty to promptly review and investigate complaints. Instead of pursuing an objective approach to civil rights cases, the lawsuit claims the administration has prioritized issues that align with President Trump’s political agenda, detrimentally affecting marginalized groups like women, girls, L.G.B.T.Q. students, and students of color. Furthermore, the suit argues that claims from individuals who identify as white or male are unfairly prioritized, exacerbating systemic discrimination against those who are less represented.

The legal action not only seeks to shed light on the adverse effects of the staffing cuts but also demands that the federal government reinstates the investigators who lost their jobs. Over the past few months, reports illustrate that the Trump administration has halved the department’s workforce, which originally consisted of 4,133 employees, and closed seven of the twelve regional branches of the civil rights office. This significant reduction in staff has resulted in numerous cases being suspended and an overall impairment of the OCR’s functions, as asserted by both dismissed employees and advocates within the disability rights community.

Filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington, the case was initiated by the Maryland-based Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, representing parents whose civil rights complaints have been stalled due to the downsizing of the OCR. The lawsuit emphasizes that the OCR has deviated from its responsibilities by halting the progress of thousands of complaints while selectively opening and promoting investigations that align with the administration’s ideological positions. This shift has been labeled as a politicization of its work, which has compromised its credibility as a dispassionate fact-finder.

In response to inquiries about the lawsuit, the Education Department did not provide comments. Earlier, Madi Biedermann, a spokesperson for the department, expressed confidence in the commitment of the OCR staff to meet their statutory obligations.

The administration’s strategy of downsizing the federal workforce has sparked numerous lawsuits from various entities, including labor unions, state attorneys general, and advocacy organizations. While many lawsuits contend that discrimination and civil rights violations have been exacerbated by the government’s actions, the case filed on Friday may be the inaugural suit to claim that the Trump administration’s policies are specifically undermining the legal rights of minority groups to further its objectives. Under President Trump, previous orders have targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, alongside the rollback of transgender rights.

Statistics from the previous year reveal that the OCR handled 22,687 discrimination complaints in schools, representing an 18 percent increase from the preceding year. Congress had allocated a budget of $140 million to the OCR for salaries and resources for 643 workers, placing an obligation on the administration to utilize this funding appropriately. The lawsuit points out that before the changes, investigators managed an average of approximately 50 cases each.

The suit further claims that instead of adhering to legal mandates, the Trump administration has prohibited the OCR from advancing existing cases and diverted attention to initiating new investigations that target programs benefiting students of color and L.G.B.T.Q. individuals. Most recently, the OCR announced investigations into universities regarding their practices related to "impermissible race-based scholarships" and other racial preference programs.

However, the layoffs have posed significant challenges for the resolution of previously opened cases, diminishing the likelihood that parents and students would receive impartial and timely investigations of their complaints.

At a rally in Washington on Friday, demonstrators gathered in front of the Education Department headquarters to oppose what they perceive as an agenda aimed at dismantling civil rights and public education. Brittany Myatt, formerly a staff attorney for the OCR in Philadelphia, vocalized her frustrations, noting that "civil rights should not be a 21st-century debate." She expressed her sense of loss for the vulnerable communities she represented and recited a poignant poem reflecting on the impact of the OCR on students’ lives.

Maria Town, CEO of the American Association of People With Disabilities and a former White House official during the Obama administration, recounted her experience as a disabled child in public education, highlighting the critical support systems that were integral to her development. She lamented the potential loss of these supports for current and future students due to the OCR’s downsizing.

The ongoing legal battle over the changes instituted within the OCR underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding civil rights enforcement in education, revealing the deep divisions over priorities and the invocation of political ideologies in matters that profoundly affect students and their families.