Department of Education Dismantling Tracker
Overview
The Trump administration has pursued the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE/ED) as a campaign commitment and governing priority since January 2025. Because Congress established the Department by statute in 1979 (the Department of Education Organization Act, 20 U.S.C. § 3401 et seq.), formally abolishing it requires an act of Congress — a fact acknowledged by Secretary Linda McMahon during her own confirmation hearing and repeatedly in subsequent public statements.
Lacking congressional authorization, the administration has pursued “functional dismantling” through three parallel tracks: (1) mass workforce reductions, (2) interagency agreements (IAAs) transferring programs and statutory responsibilities to other agencies, and (3) a cascade of executive orders and guidance rescissions targeting civil rights enforcement, Title IX protections, and DEI-related funding conditions.
As of May 2026, the Department’s workforce has been cut from approximately 4,200 to 2,300 employees — a roughly 45% reduction. More than 100 programs have been transferred to other agencies under at least nine IAAs. The administration has acknowledged that full closure still requires congressional action, which Congress has not authorized or seriously debated in legislative form.
Timeline of Key Events
September 2023
- Trump posts video promising to “close up the Department of Education” on “Day One” and return education to the states. Idea also appears in Project 2025 blueprint.
- Source: NBC News
November 19, 2024
- Trump nominates Linda McMahon to serve as Secretary of Education.
- Source: Wikipedia, Linda McMahon
January 20, 2025
- Trump’s first day in office. Signs Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” directing all agencies — including DOE — to define “sex” as biological sex and to rescind Biden-era guidance treating gender identity as a protected category under Title IX.
- Source: Federal Register 2025-02090
January 31, 2025
- DOE confirms it will enforce the 2020 Title IX regulations (not Biden’s 2024 rule), effectively removing gender identity from Title IX coverage immediately.
- Source: Ballard Spahr, February 2025
February 13–20, 2025
- McMahon’s Senate HELP Committee confirmation hearing (Feb. 13). During the hearing, McMahon acknowledges that closing the DOE would require congressional action. Committee advances nomination 12–11.
- Source: Brookings Institution analysis
February 14, 2025
- DOE issues a “Dear Colleague” letter directing schools and institutions to eliminate DEI programs as a condition of federal funding compliance. (This directive was later vacated by federal court; see Legal Challenges section.)
- Source: NEA press release, February 18, 2026
March 3, 2025
- Senate confirms McMahon 51–45; she is sworn in the same day.
- Source: ABC News
March 11, 2025
- DOE announces a Reduction in Force (RIF) affecting nearly 50% of its workforce — approximately 1,315 employees subject to layoff, plus ~600 who had accepted voluntary buyouts and retirements. McMahon states on-record same day that this is the “first step” to closing the department, while acknowledging she would “have to work with Congress to get that accomplished.”
- Source: DOE press release, March 11, 2025; Inside Higher Ed
March 13, 2025
- New York Attorney General Letitia James leads a coalition of 21 state attorneys general in filing suit against McMahon and DOE in the District of Massachusetts (State of New York, et al. v. Linda McMahon, et al.), arguing the RIF and broader dismantling plan violate separation of powers, the APA, and congressional authority.
- Source: NY AG press release, March 13, 2025
March 20, 2025
- Trump signs Executive Order “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities,” formally directing McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education” to the maximum extent permitted by law. Trump, flanked by children at school desks, calls McMahon “hopefully our last secretary of education.”
- Source: NBC News; Federal Register PDF
March 21, 2025
- Trump directs the transfer of federal student loan oversight and special education programs (IDEA administration) out of DOE. Employees placed on administrative leave.
- Source: Amended Complaint, New York v. McMahon, CourtListener
March 24, 2025
- Plaintiff states file Motion for Preliminary Injunction seeking to block the RIF and the March 21 transfer directive.
- Source: Georgetown Law Litigation Tracker
April 1, 2025
- Somerville Public Schools and teachers’ unions file separate motion for preliminary injunction (later consolidated with New York v. McMahon).
- Source: Georgetown Law Litigation Tracker
April 2, 2025
- Senators Warren and Hirono and Senate Democratic Leader Schumer send letter to McMahon regarding DOGE’s proposal to replace student aid call centers with AI chatbots.
- Source: Sen. Warren press release
April 3, 2025
- DOE sends a letter to states requiring them to certify their compliance with anti-DEI policies as a condition of federal education funding.
- Source: Sligo Law Group analysis
April 10, 2025
- DOE Acting Inspector General agrees to open investigation into the Trump administration’s dismantling of the department, following request by Senator Warren.
- Source: Sen. Warren press release
May 2025
- DOE begins executing interagency agreements (IAAs) with other federal agencies to transfer programs; seven agreements signed by November 2025.
- Source: Amended Complaint, New York v. McMahon
May 22, 2025
- U.S. District Judge Myong Joun (D. Mass., Biden appointee) issues an 88-page ruling finding the Trump administration’s effort to “shut down” DOE is likely unconstitutional and illegal. Joun grants preliminary injunction blocking the RIF layoffs. Employees remain on paid administrative leave.
- Source: lawdork.com; Georgetown Law ruling PDF
July 3, 2025
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Rep. Joe Neguse lead 174 members of Congress in filing an amicus brief in NAACP v. U.S. (D. Md.) arguing that the executive branch cannot dismantle a department created by Congress.
- Source: Sen. Warren press release, July 3, 2025
July 14, 2025 (approximate)
- U.S. Supreme Court, on the shadow docket, stays the lower court injunctions blocking the DOE mass layoffs. The 6-3 ruling along partisan lines — without a written opinion or full briefing — allows the administration to move forward with terminating approximately 1,300 employees. Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson dissent. Sotomayor writes: “When the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it.”
- Source: Government Executive, July 2025; lawdork.com
August 7, 2025
- Sen. Warren publicly releases McMahon’s responses to her 60+ oversight questions and announces she will refer matters where the Department has been uncooperative to the GAO and DOE Inspector General.
- Source: Sen. Warren press release
Fall 2025
- DOE attempts a second wave of approximately 500 additional layoffs targeting the Office for Civil Rights, K-12 programs, special education, and higher education offices. Layoff notices were later rescinded following court challenges during the government shutdown period.
- Source: Federal News Network, March 2026
November 18, 2025
- DOE executes additional interagency agreements, bringing the total to at least seven by this date.
- Source: Amended Complaint, New York v. McMahon
February 2026
- A federal district court permanently invalidates the February 14, 2025, “Dear Colleague” DEI directive and associated certification requirements. Following the U.S.’s concession, Judge Landya McCafferty issues a final ruling vacating the directive nationwide.
- Source: NEA press release, February 18, 2026
March 2026
- One year after mass layoffs, DOE continues executing IAAs. Administration has now transferred more than 100 programs to DOL, HHS, Interior, State, and Treasury. Department staffing stands at approximately 2,300 (down from ~4,200 in 2024). A GAO report finds the department spent up to $38 million keeping OCR employees on paid administrative leave after courts blocked their firings.
- Source: Federal News Network, March 2026
March 19, 2026
- DOE and Treasury Department sign a landmark interagency agreement creating the “Federal Student Assistance Partnership.” Treasury will assume operational responsibility for collecting on the ~$1.7 trillion federal student loan portfolio in a three-phase transfer: (1) defaulted loans, (2) all loan servicing, (3) FAFSA administration. The agreement was executed without congressional authorization.
- Source: DOE press release, March 19, 2026; NPR; Congressional Research Service R48962
March 26, 2026
- Trump signs Executive Order 14398, introducing a new DEI prohibition clause into federal contracts. Recipients of federal financial assistance are put on notice that analogous restrictions may be incorporated into grant conditions.
- Source: JD Supra / McCarter & English analysis
May 14, 2026
- McMahon testifies before the House Education Committee, defending the dismantling of the department and the administration’s FY2027 budget proposal. Sparred with Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA). McMahon reaffirms OCR’s importance and says she plans to rehire attorneys. She confirms the Department will physically relocate remaining staff from its longtime D.C. headquarters to a smaller nearby office by August 2026.
- Source: WUNC News, May 14, 2026
May 28, 2026
- The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issues a notice of dismissal in the case defending Biden’s 2024 Title IX rule (gender identity provisions), after the advocacy groups defending the rule dropped their appeals. The Biden-era gender identity Title IX rule is effectively dead with no active defense.
- Source: Washington Times, May 28, 2026
Executive Actions
Executive Order: “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities” (March 20, 2025)
Trump signed this executive order directing Secretary McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely” (Section 2(a)).
Key limitation: The EO’s “General Provisions” section contains standard language noting that it shall be implemented “consistent with applicable law.” Secretary McMahon acknowledged in her confirmation hearing that formal closure requires an act of Congress. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed at the signing that “critical functions” including student loans, Pell Grants, and civil rights law enforcement would continue.
Source: Federal Register PDF; NBC News; Brookings Institution
Transfer of Education Functions to Other Agencies (May 2025–present)
As of May 2026, the administration has signed at least nine interagency agreements (IAAs) transferring 118+ programs and functions from DOE to other federal agencies:
| Receiving Agency | Programs/Functions Transferred |
|---|---|
| Department of Labor (DOL) | Elementary and secondary education programs, workforce training |
| Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) | Family engagement programs |
| Department of the Interior | [NEEDS VERIFICATION — 2026-05-30 as to specific programs] |
| Department of State | [NEEDS VERIFICATION — 2026-05-30 as to specific programs] |
| Department of the Treasury | Federal student loan portfolio (Phase 1: defaulted loans; Phases 2–3: all loans + FAFSA) |
Critics — including Democratic senators Murray, Baldwin, Sanders, and Schumer — have argued these IAAs violate appropriations law, which prohibits transferring appropriated funds to another agency unless expressly authorized. A DOE press secretary responded that the FY2026 appropriations law “does not preclude the department from partnering with better-positioned federal agencies to manage federal education programs.”
Sources: NEA, March 2026; Sen. Murray press release; Federal News Network
DOGE Involvement in DOE Workforce Reductions
DOGE — the Department of Government Efficiency, an advisory body co-chaired by Elon Musk operating under a White House executive order — coordinated government-wide RIF actions. The DOE’s March 11, 2025, RIF is tracked as part of approximately 300,000 federal employee terminations attributed to DOGE across all agencies. The DOE’s 1,378 direct layoffs represent a 33% cut of its workforce in the first wave alone. Including voluntary buyouts, the total workforce reduction reached approximately 50%.
A federal court (Judge Susan Illston) temporarily blocked some government-wide DOGE layoffs, citing public statements by Vought and Trump showing “explicit political motives” — specifically Trump saying the cuts would target “Democrat agencies.”
Sources: Wikipedia, 2025 US federal mass layoffs; House Democrats’ Litigation Task Force
Title IX Rollbacks
Rescission of Biden-Era 2024 Title IX Regulations
The Biden administration issued new Title IX regulations in April 2024 expanding the definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity. Federal courts had largely blocked these regulations from taking effect before Trump’s inauguration.
On January 20, 2025, Executive Order 14168 directed all agencies to recognize only “two sexes, male and female” and to rescind regulations and guidance defining sex to include gender identity. On January 31, 2025, DOE confirmed it would enforce the first Trump administration’s 2020 Title IX regulations effective immediately for all open investigations.
The Department’s January 2025 Dear Colleague letter clarified:
- DOE “no longer interprets Title IX’s prohibition of discrimination ‘on the basis of sex’ as including discrimination on the basis of sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity (including transgender status), or sex characteristics.”
- All investigations initiated under the 2024 rule must proceed under the 2020 rule.
- All pre-2024 guidance was reinstated.
Source: Ballard Spahr, February 2025; Federal Register EO 14168
Rescission of Prior Resolution Agreements on Transgender Student Protections
DOE’s Office for Civil Rights rescinded provisions of six resolution agreements from prior administrations that had required schools to accommodate students under a gender-identity interpretation of Title IX. The rescinded requirements included “improper use of preferred pronouns” and “asking questions about a student’s preferred ‘gender'” as Title IX violations.
Source: DOE press release, undated (2025)
Death of Biden’s 2024 Title IX Rule (May 2026)
On May 28, 2026, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a notice of dismissal in the case defending the Biden-era Title IX rule, after the Victims Rights Law Center and A Better Balance — the last advocacy groups defending the rule — dropped their appeals. The 5th and other circuits similarly dismissed parallel cases. The Biden gender-identity expansion of Title IX has no remaining active legal defense.
Source: Washington Times, May 28, 2026
Rescission of DOJ Bostock Guidance
Pursuant to EO 14168, DOJ withdrew its March 26, 2021, memorandum applying Bostock v. Clayton County to Title IX. The administration’s position is that Bostock — which held that Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity — does not mandate gender-identity-based access to single-sex facilities under Title IX.
Source: DOJ Civil Rights Division guidance withdrawal
Federal Funding Changes
DEI-Related Grant Restrictions
February 14, 2025 “Dear Colleague” Letter (later vacated): DOE issued a sweeping directive requiring schools to certify that they had eliminated DEI programs from federally funded activities. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty found the directive vague, viewpoint discriminatory, and imposing new legal obligations without legal authority. On February 18, 2026, following the U.S.’s concession, the court issued a final ruling permanently invalidating the directive. It cannot be enforced against anyone, anywhere nationwide.
April 3, 2025 State Certification Requirement: DOE sent a letter to states requiring them to certify that they and their subrecipients were not operating programs the administration deemed discriminatory DEI initiatives. This certification was also vacated as part of the February 2026 court ruling.
Teacher Training Grants ($600 million+ terminated): DOE announced the termination of more than $600 million in teacher-training grants described as promoting “diverse ideologies” including DEI. These terminations were framed as discretionary policy decisions rather than formal enforcement actions.
Executive Order 14398 (March 26, 2026): Trump signed a new executive order introducing a “Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors” clause into federal contracts (FAR 52.220-90). While directed at contractors, the clause signals where grant conditions for recipients of federal financial assistance may be headed. Noncompliance is grounds for termination of the entire contract and debarment from future federal work.
Source: NEA press release, February 18, 2026; SRAI International, March 2026; JD Supra analysis; Sligo Law Group
Student Loan Policy Changes
March 19, 2026 — Federal Student Assistance Partnership (Treasury Transfer):
DOE and Treasury signed an IAA creating a three-phase transfer of the federal student loan portfolio (~$1.7 trillion; 9.2 million borrowers in default as of March 2026):
- Phase 1: Treasury assumes responsibility for collecting on all defaulted federal student loans (the ~$1.7 trillion portfolio; ~25% of borrowers in default)
- Phase 2: Treasury takes on operational support for all non-defaulted federal student loan debt “to the extent practicable”
- Phase 3: Treasury assumes management of FAFSA and other Federal Student Aid functions
A senior DOE official acknowledged that Treasury cannot fully assume all of DOE’s statutory student loan obligations, and that “Congress is the only entity that can close the Department.” DOE staff handling loans will be detailed to Treasury while some Treasury staff will be rotated into DOE to learn the portfolio.
Source: DOE press release; NPR, March 19, 2026; CRS R48962; Inside Higher Ed, April 24, 2026
SAVE Plan Forbearance (July 2025): Senators Warren and Sanders wrote to McMahon urging the Department to reverse an interest hike on student loan borrowers in SAVE forbearance. [NEEDS VERIFICATION — 2026-05-30 on final status]
Federal Education Funding Leverage
Congress passed an FY2026 spending package that increased funding for the DOE and rejected the Trump administration’s proposals for deep cuts reflecting program transfers. The DOE press office responded that the spending law “does not preclude the department from partnering with better-positioned federal agencies to manage federal education programs.”
Source: Federal News Network, March 2026
Legal Challenges
Critical legal fact: The Department of Education was created by an act of Congress (Department of Education Organization Act, 20 U.S.C. § 3401 et seq., enacted 1979). Its closure, and the elimination of the statutory programs it administers, requires an act of Congress. Secretary McMahon has acknowledged this publicly and under oath. The Trump administration’s dismantling strategy has therefore proceeded through executive discretion to the maximum extent legally permissible — while courts continue to assess whether those limits have already been exceeded.
State of New York, et al. v. Linda McMahon, et al. (D. Mass.)
- Filed: March 13, 2025. Coalition of 21 states led by New York AG Letitia James.
- Claims: Separation of powers violation; APA arbitrary and capricious; violation of Appropriations Clause; ultra vires action; violation of Take Care Clause.
- March 24, 2025: States move for preliminary injunction blocking the RIF and the March 21 transfer directive.
- April 1, 2025: Somerville Public Schools and union plaintiffs file separate PI motion; cases consolidated.
- May 22, 2025: Judge Myong Joun (D. Mass.) grants preliminary injunction. 88-page ruling finds administration’s true intention is “to effectively dismantle the Department without an authorizing statute.” Employees placed on paid administrative leave.
- July 14, 2025 (approx.): U.S. Supreme Court, on shadow docket, issues stay of lower court injunctions allowing layoffs to proceed. 6–3 along partisan lines, no written opinion. Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson dissent. Sotomayor writes: “When the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it.”
- Status as of May 2026: Case continues on merits before First Circuit; Supreme Court stay remains in effect.
Sources: NY AG complaint; District Court PI ruling; The Arc, Supreme Court ruling; lawdork.com; Gov’t Executive
NAACP v. United States (D. Md.)
- Filed by the NAACP and affiliated plaintiffs challenging the DOE dismantling under the separation of powers, Appropriations and Spending Clauses, Take Care Clause, and APA.
- July 3, 2025: 174 members of Congress (led by Warren, Raskin, Neguse) file amicus brief.
- Status as of May 2026: Active litigation. [NEEDS VERIFICATION — 2026-05-30 on latest rulings]
Sources: Sen. Warren press release, July 3, 2025; CourtListener filing
OCR Disability/Civil Rights Complaint Backlog Litigation
- Families of students with disabilities filed lawsuits arguing that DOE’s closure of seven of twelve OCR regional offices and its layoff of 240+ OCR staff have made it “effectively impossible” for the agency to fulfill its statutory mandate to investigate civil rights complaints.
- Evidence gathered: OCR lost at least 240 union-eligible staff; 7 of 12 regional offices closed; families report complaints filed in fall 2024 without even an intake call. Resolution agreements dropped approximately 79% compared to 2024; roughly 90% of new complaints dismissed without review. A GAO report found DOE spent up to $38 million keeping OCR employees on paid administrative leave after courts blocked their firing.
Sources: NBC News, March 2025; NPR, families/stalled investigations; Federal News Network, March 2026
Dear Colleague Letter DEI Directive Litigation
- ACLU, ACLU of New Hampshire, ACLU of Massachusetts, on behalf of the NEA and New Hampshire school districts, challenged the February 14, 2025, Dear Colleague letter.
- February 18, 2026: District Court Judge Landya McCafferty issues final order permanently invalidating the directive following the government’s concession. The directive “cannot be enforced against anyone, anywhere nationwide.”
Source: NEA press release, February 18, 2026
Biden Title IX Rule Litigation (Concluded)
Courts blocked the Biden administration’s 2024 Title IX rule before it could take effect. The Trump administration took office and rescinded it. As of May 28, 2026, the last advocacy groups defending the Biden rule have dropped their appeals in the 11th Circuit and other circuits. No active defense of the 2024 rule remains.
Source: Washington Times, May 28, 2026
Congressional Response
Republican support for closure (limited): Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chair of the HELP Committee, announced on the day Trump signed the March 20, 2025, EO that he would “submit legislation” to close the DOE “as soon as possible.” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC) introduced House bills to eliminate the department; Massie’s bill attracted 27 Republican co-sponsors. However, formal legislation has not advanced, and Republicans have not secured the 60 Senate votes needed to overcome a Democratic filibuster.
Congress rejected deep cuts in FY2026 appropriations: The FY2026 spending package — passed by the Republican-controlled Congress — increased DOE funding and rejected the administration’s calls for deep cuts reflecting program transfers. This creates a legal tension the DOE has sought to sidestep by arguing spending law does not bar interagency partnerships.
Democratic amicus briefs and oversight:
- April 24, 2025: 192 House Democrats, led by Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, Hakeem Jeffries, Jamie Raskin, Joe Neguse, and Bobby Scott, file amicus brief in New York v. McMahon arguing executive branch cannot unilaterally dismantle a department created by Congress.
- July 3, 2025: 174 members of Congress file amicus in NAACP v. U.S. on same grounds.
- Senators Murray, Baldwin, Sanders, and Schumer send letters slamming IAAs as violating appropriations law.
- April 10, 2025: DOE Inspector General opens investigation following request by Sen. Warren.
- May 14, 2026: Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and McMahon spar at House Education Committee hearing over the FY2027 budget and departmental restructuring.
Sources: NBC News; House Democrats Litigation Task Force; Sen. Warren press releases; WUNC News, May 14, 2026; Federal News Network, March 2026
Investigative Trails
- IAA contract terms: The full text of all nine (or more) interagency agreements has not been publicly released in full. Identify what programs were transferred, what oversight mechanisms exist, and whether the transfers violate appropriations law. FOIA requests to DOE, DOL, Treasury, HHS, Interior, and State may yield the agreements.
- OCR complaint backlog data: File a FOIA with DOE’s Office for Civil Rights for (a) complaint intake and resolution statistics by quarter from 2024–present, (b) staffing levels by regional office, (c) the GAO-identified $38 million in administrative leave costs. Compare to resolution rates under prior administrations.
- DOGE involvement documentation: Identify which DOGE personnel directed or participated in DOE layoff decisions. Public statements, FOIA of internal communications, and court discovery in New York v. McMahon may document the coordination.
- McMahon’s Qatar/foreign-education connections: [NEEDS VERIFICATION — 2026-05-30 — research whether McMahon has financial or advisory connections to foreign education ventures that could create conflicts of interest given her role eliminating DOE oversight]
- $600 million teacher training grant terminations: Identify which specific grants were terminated, which institutions were affected, and whether the terminations followed any formal review process or were politically targeted. FOIA grant termination records.
- First Circuit appeal status: Track the merits briefing schedule in New York v. McMahon at the First Circuit and any cert. petition timeline to the Supreme Court for a full hearing.
- Treasury loan transfer implementation: Monitor whether Treasury is actually building the infrastructure to manage 9+ million defaulted borrowers and eventually the full $1.7 trillion portfolio. Watch for borrower harm reports, servicer contract changes, and FAFSA processing disruptions.
- IDEA/Special Education transfer: Track the status of any IAA transferring IDEA administration from DOE. This program serves approximately 7.5 million students with disabilities. No agency with comparable expertise exists outside DOE’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS).
- McMahon’s degree misrepresentation: McMahon falsely claimed on a Connecticut State Board of Education questionnaire that she had an education degree from East Carolina University; her degree is in French, not education. Relevant to credibility as education secretary. (Inside Higher Ed)
- Project 2025 blueprint alignment: Cross-reference DOE dismantling actions against the Project 2025 education chapter to document the degree to which the administration is implementing the Heritage Foundation blueprint.
Factcheck Notice
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Sources
- NBC News — “Trump signs executive order to dismantle the Education Department” (March 20, 2025): https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-signs-executive-order-dismantle-education-department-white-house-rcna197251
- NBC News — “Trump preparing executive order to abolish the Education Department” (pre-signing): https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/white-house-preparing-executive-order-abolish-department-education-rcna190205
- Federal Register — EO “Improving Education Outcomes” (March 20, 2025): https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-05213.pdf?1742820318
- Federal Register — EO 14168 “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism” (January 20, 2025): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/30/2025-02090/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal
- Brookings Institution — “Brookings scholars analyze Trump’s order to dismantle the Department of Education”: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/brookings-scholars-analyze-trumps-order-to-dismantle-the-department-of-education/
- U.S. Department of Education — “Initiates Reduction in Force” (March 11, 2025): http://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-initiates-reduction-force
- ABC News — “WWE co-founder Linda McMahon confirmed as secretary of education” (March 3, 2025): https://abcnews.com/Politics/wwe-founder-linda-mcmahon-confirmed-secretary-education/story?id=119406018
- ABC News — “How is Linda McMahon making good on Trump’s promise?”: https://abcnews.com/Politics/linda-mcmahon-making-good-trumps-promise-close-department/story?id=127683351
- WUNC News — “Linda McMahon defends dismantling the Education Department” (May 14, 2026): https://www.wunc.org/2026-05-14/linda-mcmahon-defends-dismantling-the-education-department-shifting-its-work
- NEA — “The Plan to Abolish the Education Department — One Year Later”: https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/plan-abolish-education-department-one-year-later
- Federal News Network — “A year after mass layoffs, Education Dept keeps handing off programs” (March 2026): https://federalnewsnetwork.com/reorganization/2026/03/a-year-after-mass-layoffs-education-dept-keeps-handing-off-its-programs-to-other-agencies/
- Inside Higher Ed — “Education Department to reduce staff by nearly half” (March 11, 2025): https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2025/03/11/education-department-reduce-staff-half
- New York Attorney General — Complaint, State of New York v. McMahon (March 13, 2025): https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/state-of-new-york-et-al-v-linda-mcmahon-united-states-department-of-education-complaint-2025.pdf
- NY AG — Press release, coalition lawsuit (March 13, 2025): https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-sues-trump-administration-stop-dismantling-department
- Georgetown Law Litigation Tracker — District Court preliminary injunction order (May 22, 2025): https://litigationtracker.law.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/State-of-New-York_2025.05.22_MEMORANDUM-AND-ORDER-ON-CONSOLIDATED-PLAINTIFFS-MOTIONS-FOR-PRELIMINARY-INJUNCTION.pdf
- Amended Complaint, New York v. McMahon (November 2025): https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.281941/gov.uscourts.mad.281941.187.0.pdf
- Government Executive — “Education Dept. can proceed with mass layoffs after Supreme Court ruling” (July 2025): https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/07/education-dept-can-proceed-mass-layoffs-after-supreme-court-ruling/406714/
- lawdork.com — “The Roberts court allows Trump’s gutting of the Education Dep’t in a lawless ruling”: https://www.lawdork.com/p/scotus-allows-education-dept-dismantling
- The Arc — “Supreme Court Clears Path for Dismantling of Education Department”: https://thearc.org/blog/mcmahon-v-new-york/
- NBC News — “How Education Department layoffs could impact students with disabilities” (March 2025): https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/education-department-layoffs-students-disabilities-rcna196114
- Disability Scoop — “Ed Department Layoffs Prompt Worries About Future Of Special Education” (July 2025): https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2025/07/16/ed-department-layoffs-prompt-worries-about-future-of-special-education/31541/
- NPR — “Families say school civil rights investigations have stalled”: https://text.npr.org/nx-s1-5338830
- Ballard Spahr — “Department of Education Confirms Return to Trump Administration’s 2020 Title IX Rule” (February 2025): https://www.ballardspahr.com/insights/alerts-and-articles/2025/02/executive-order-rolls-back-title-ix-to-pre-biden-rules-effective-immediately
- U.S. Department of Education — “Rescinds Illegal Title IX Resolution Agreements”: http://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-rescinds-illegal-title-ix-resolution-agreements
- DOJ Civil Rights Division — Bostock guidance withdrawal: https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1389946/dl?inline=
- Washington Times — “Biden-era rule inserting gender identity to Title IX bites dust” (May 28, 2026): https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/28/biden-era-rule-inserting-gender-identity-title-ix-bites-dust-defense/
- NEA — “Department of Education Backs Down on Unlawful Directive Targeting Educational Equity” (February 18, 2026): https://www.nea.org/about-nea/media-center/press-releases/department-education-backs-down-unlawful-directive-targeting-educational-equity
- Sligo Law Group — “Department of Education DEI Enforcement in 2026: What Has Changed”: https://www.sligolawgroup.com/news/dei-enforcement-2026
- SRAI International — “Shifting Landscape: DEI Policy Changes” (March 2026): https://www.srainternational.org/blogs/srai-news/2026/03/12/shifting-landscape-dei-policy-changes-impact
- JD Supra / McCarter & English — “Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance” (EO 14398 analysis): https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/recipients-of-federal-financial-2148774/
- U.S. Department of Education — “Federal Student Assistance Partnership” announcement (March 19, 2026): http://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-and-us-department-of-treasury-announce-historic-federal-student-assistance-partnership
- NPR — “Federal student loans will move to Treasury” (March 19, 2026): https://www.npr.org/2026/03/19/nx-s1-5753906/student-loans-trump-treasury
- Congressional Research Service — CRS R48962, Transition of Servicing Defaulted Federal Student Loans to Treasury: https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48962
- Inside Higher Ed — “ED Official Expands on Plans to Transfer Loan Portfolio” (April 24, 2026): https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/student-aid-policy/2026/04/24/ed-official-expands-plans-transfer-loan-portfolio
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren — Amicus brief press release (July 3, 2025): https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-neguse-raskin-lead-170-members-of-congress-in-amicus-brief-arguing-trump-cannot-dismantle-department-of-education
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren — “Trump is waging an illegal assault on public school kids”: https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-on-education-department-dismantling-trump-is-waging-an-illegal-assault-on-public-school-kids
- House Democrats’ Litigation Task Force — Jeffries press release (April 24, 2025): https://jeffries.house.gov/2025/04/24/house-democrats-litigation-task-force-defends-department-of-education-in-court/
- Sen. Murray press release — “Slam Latest Efforts to Dismantle DOE”: https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-baldwin-sanders-schumer-colleagues-slam-latest-efforts-to-dismantle-the-department-of-education-call-on-mcmahon-to-reverse-illegal-moves-that-weaken-support-for-students/
- NAACP v. US — CourtListener docket: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.578848/gov.uscourts.mdd.578848.86.0.pdf
- Wikipedia — Linda McMahon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_mcmahon
- Wikipedia — 2025 United States federal mass layoffs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_United_States_federal_mass_layoffs
- Cleary Center — “President Trump signs executive order to dismantle the Department of Education”: https://www.clerycenter.org/trump-signs-eo-to-dismantle-ed
- Inside Higher Ed — “How the WWE shaped Linda McMahon” (November 2024): https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2024/11/27/how-wwe-shaped-linda-mcmahon
- NPR — “Who is Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick for education secretary?”: https://www.npr.org/2025/02/08/nx-s1-5251642/linda-mcmahon-trump-wwe-education-secretary-nominee
- Democracy Forward — Amended complaint, New York v. McMahon: https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Dkt-187-Amended-Complaint-.pdf