As a result of the elimination of hundreds of its employees charged with protecting the civil rights of students and educators, the U.S. Department of Education has put over 6,000 active cases in seven Office of Civil Rights (OCR) offices that have been closed — including the Philadelphia Office.

In toto, the agency closed its offices in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston and Cleveland, which are seven of its 12 civil rights enforcement offices. Those offices oversaw nearly 60,000 K-12 public schools, which house over 30 million students.

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On March 11, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) announced a massive reduction in force. The most recent cuts, coupled with the previously accepted employee “buyouts,” has eliminated almost 1,900 employees, which drops the employee count from 4,133 when the new administration took over to the current number of 2,183. To date, 600 employees took the buyout and 1,300 will be put on administrative leave beginning March 21.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon lauded the move, stating that it “reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers.” She also called it a “significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.”

Many believe that gutting the agency is a first step in its complete elimination, which would require congressional action. Critics of the move say it will have a significant impact on public education throughout the country, creating a chaotic situation. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, the nation’s second-largest teachers union stated that “Denuding an agency so it cannot function effectively is the most cowardly way of dismantling it.”

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On March 5, 2025, the nation’s largest educator union filed suit to challenge the U.S. Department of Education’s(USDE) directive to cease diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The lawsuit is in response to a strict Feb. 14 Dear Colleague letter (DCL) that educators and education policy experts worried would severely curb student resources, curriculum and other programs related to race in schools. The letter set a Feb. 28 deadline for schools to comply — or risk losing federal funding. Further, despite the USDE’s attempts to tone down the original DCL and clarify its stance through a less aggressive Q&A document, the National Education Association (NEA) was joined by the American Civil Liberties Union ACLU) in filing suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire.

The lawsuit says the directive exposes educators “to professional and legal penalties by declaring that their protected expression violates federal law” and risks cuts to federal school funding that would be “devastating to almost any educational institution.” As a result, it’s possible that schools will move to cut back on any expression that could be deemed a “DEI program,” out of fear.

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On March 3, 2025, three teacher preparation groups filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland seeking to overturn funding cuts to teacher training programs that were made by the  U.S. Department of Education (USDE). The plaintiffs (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, National Center for Teacher Residencies, and Maryland Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) claim the USDE “failed to follow statute and Federal regulations in terminating the grants” and are requesting reinstatement of the grant awards.

Over 100 educator prep grant awards that have been terminated are funded under three congressionally appropriated programs: the Supporting Effective Educator Development Grant Program, the Teacher Quality Partnership Program and the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program.

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