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President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Education Secretary Linda McMahon will begin shutting down the U.S. Department of Education, following a Supreme Court decision that allowed his administration to move forward with cutting nearly 1,400 agency jobs.
The high court issued a 6-3 ruling earlier in the day that lifted a preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun in Boston, who had blocked the administration’s planned workforce reduction. Joun had been appointed to the bench by President Joe Biden.
“The United States Supreme Court has handed a Major Victory to Parents and Students across the Country, by declaring the Trump Administration may proceed on returning the functions of the Department of Education BACK TO THE STATES,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Now, with this GREAT Supreme Court Decision, our Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, may begin this very important process.
“The Federal Government has been running our Education System into the ground, but we are going to turn it all around by giving the Power back to the PEOPLE. America’s Students will be the best, brightest, and most Highly Educated anywhere in the World. Thank you to the United States Supreme Court!” he added.
The legal battle arose from a March 11 announcement by the Education Department that 1,378 employees would be cut as part of a restructuring effort. Critics sued to stop the move, alleging it violated both the Constitution and administrative law.
In response to the Supreme Court ruling, McMahon released a statement saying the job cuts reflect “the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers.”
Trump followed the March announcement with an executive order on March 20, directing McMahon to begin shutting down the agency. One day later, he revealed that certain programs, including those supporting students with special needs and the federal student loan system, would be reassigned to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Small Business Administration.
The administration’s actions prompted a lawsuit from 20 states, the District of Columbia, two public school districts, and several teachers’ unions, who sought to reverse the staff reductions and maintain federal oversight in education.
McMahon responded to the ruling, writing, “Today, the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious: The President of the United States, as the head of the Executive Branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies.”
“While today’s ruling is a significant win for students and families, it is a shame that the highest court in the land had to step in to allow President Trump to advance the reforms Americans elected him to deliver using the authorities granted to him by the U.S. Constitution,” she added.
