US Supreme Court allows Trump's education dept mass layoffs amid school funding crisis

The Supreme Court has allowed President Trump to go ahead with mass layoffs at the US Education Department, putting nearly 1,400 employees out of work. In a 6-3 ruling, the Court’s conservative majority overturned a lower court decision that had blocked the firings and ordered the workers reinstated.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon praised the ruling as a “significant win,” saying it would help carry out Trump’s executive order to shut down the department “as far as the law allows.”

The layoffs affect about one-third of the department’s staff and are part of Trump’s broader effort to reduce the size of the federal government and shift education responsibilities back to the states.

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In a strong dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, warned the decision could cause a constitutional crisis. She accused the majority of allowing “lawlessness” and argued that Trump’s plan “usurps Congress’s power” by effectively dismantling an agency created by Congress.

Justice Sotomayor warns of serious harm from cuts

Justice Sotomayor cautioned that the cuts would cause “untold harm,” weakening civil rights enforcement, support for students with disabilities, and anti-discrimination programs.

Her dissent pointed to Trump’s earlier promise to eliminate the department, suggesting the administration intended to “break the law.”

Schools fear funding gaps and disruptions

Twenty-one Democratic-led states and teachers’ unions have sued, arguing the layoffs would cripple essential services. They raised concerns about threats to $1.6 trillion in student loans, special education, and funding for low-income schools—responsibilities required by Congress.

Massachusetts school districts warned of lasting damage, including delays in financial aid that could trigger teacher layoffs.

Employees, who have been on paid leave since March, now face losing their jobs. A union official said, “This guts our ability to protect students.”

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The ruling comes after the Supreme Court recently allowed Trump’s plan to reduce the federal workforce, moving forward with his goal to “dismantle the administrative state.”