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Supreme Court Greenlights Education Department Layoffs Amid Legal Battle

In a consequential move with wide-reaching implications for American education, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed the federal government to resume its plan to carry out sweeping layoffs at the Department of Education, pausing a lower court’s order that had blocked the effort. The decision clears the way, at least temporarily, for the administration to move forward with its controversial workforce reduction, which would cut the department’s staff by approximately 50%.

The unsigned Supreme Court order did not include an explanation, but it signals yet another pivotal moment in the debate over the future of federal education oversight. The ruling allows the administration to resume downsizing operations at the department while legal challenges continue, reversing the effect of a prior decision by U.S. District Judge Myong Joun, who had ruled the layoffs were likely unconstitutional.

By mid-afternoon, Department of Education officials had sent termination notices to thousands of employees. Education Secretary Linda McMahon praised the ruling as a victory for families and students, saying the reduction would “promote efficiency” and “return education to the states.” She emphasized that the department would still fulfill its legal obligations but would streamline operations to reduce federal bureaucracy.

The department, created by Congress in 1979, plays a central role in administering student financial aid, enforcing civil rights in schools, and distributing federal funds to local districts. Critics of the layoffs argue that eliminating such a large portion of the agency’s workforce without congressional approval effectively bypasses the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution.

In a sharply worded dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor condemned the decision, calling it “indefensible.” Joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson, she argued that the administration’s move amounts to dismantling the agency in all but name. “Rather than wait for legislative action,” she wrote, “Secretary McMahon slashed the agency’s workforce in half, concededly without analyzing the effect of those terminations on the Department’s statutorily mandated functions.”

Sotomayor warned the ruling would cause “untold harm” by delaying educational aid, undermining civil rights enforcement, and stripping schools of key federal support—especially those serving vulnerable populations.

The case is far from over, as litigation continues in the lower courts. But for now, the green light from the Supreme Court marks a dramatic shift in the federal role in public education, one that may leave lasting effects on students, families, and school systems across the country.