Nearly 1,400 employees of the United States (US) Education Department face termination as President Donald Trump moves forward with his long-promised overhaul, thanks to a recent decision by the Supreme Court.
As reported by APNews, the top court has set aside a ruling by US District Judge Myong Joun in Boston that had blocked the layoffs and questioned the legality of dismantling the department itself. The Supreme Court’s unsigned order effectively reverses the position of the lower courts, which had concluded Trump’s strategy might violate federal law.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan, wrote in dissent that the court’s move enables the Executive to “break the law,” cautioning it was the Judiciary’s duty to intervene, not facilitate questionable governance.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon welcomed the judgment, saying it was regrettable that the administration needed the court’s intervention to proceed. She stressed that the President, as head of the Executive Branch, holds ultimate authority over agency staffing and operations — remarks highlighted by APNews.
On his social media platform, Trump framed the development as a “Major Victory for Parents and Students,” asserting that it clears the path to returning many educational responsibilities “BACK TO THE STATES.”
Despite this green light, litigation is far from over. Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, who represents Massachusetts school districts and education groups challenging the plan, warned that the decision bypasses critical legal scrutiny.
She argued the court had again used its shadow docket to reverse two lower court rulings “without argument,” jeopardising the federal guarantee of public education.
Meanwhile, employees impacted by the proposed layoffs have remained on paid leave since March. Earlier, department officials had sought details on whether these staff had found new jobs, aiming to plan reintegration, a process now likely to give way to permanent exits.
