Federal judge blocks Trump administration from dismantling U.S. Department of Education

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - A federal judge in Massachusetts blocked the Trump administration Thursday from dismantling the Department of Education and ordered it to rehire employees that have been let go.

In his order, U.S. District Judge Myong Joun said President Donald Trump’s March 20 executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin the process of shutting down the agency is illegal, and it would require an act of Congress to shut down the department.

The ruling came after a group of school districts, Democratic attorneys general and the American Federation of Teachers sued the administration to block the order and stop layoffs at the department.

“The record abundantly reveals that defendants’ true intention is to effectively dismantle the department without an authorizing statute,” Joun wrote.

The ruling also ordered the department to reinstate employees who had been fired.

The Trump administration has been attempting to dismantle the department as part of an effort to cut back on waste.

“We seek to shrink federal bureaucracy, save taxpayer money, and empower states who best know their local needs to manage education in this country,” McMahon said Wednesday testifying before a congressional panel.

“Once again, a far-left judge has dramatically overstepped his authority, based on a complaint from biased plaintiffs, and issued an injunction against the obviously lawful efforts to make the Department of Education more efficient and functional for the American people. President Trump and the Senate-confirmed Secretary of Education clearly have the authority to make decisions about agency reorganization efforts, not an unelected Judge with a political axe to grind. This ruling is not in the best interest of American students or families. We will immediately challenge this on an emergency basis,” Department of Education Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications Madi Biedermann said in a statement in response to Thursday’s ruling.

The ruling will remain in place until another hearing happens or if a higher court overrules it.