Trump Administration’s Attempted Layoffs at Education Department Sparks Financial Concerns
The Trump administration’s endeavor to reduce staffing within the U.S. Department of Education has come under scrutiny as recent findings reveal substantial financial implications for taxpayers. A report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) highlights how these staffing changes, particularly within the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), have resulted in significant expenses.
The GAO report emphasizes the department’s March attempt to dismiss more than half of OCR’s civil rights attorneys and staff, justified by then-Education Secretary Linda McMahon as an effort towards “efficiency” and “accountability.”
However, the decision faced legal setbacks when courts blocked the reduction-in-force (RIF), compelling the department to continue compensating these employees without allowing them to work. Jackie Nowicki from GAO notes, “there were 247 people on administrative leave from OCR who were being paid while not being allowed to work,” resulting in costs ranging from $28.5 million to $38 million.
Analyzing the Financial Impact
The GAO derived these figures independently, citing the Education Department’s lack of a comprehensive cost analysis of the RIF’s financial impact. The report proposes that a full accounting be conducted to comprehend the fiscal consequences. Despite this, Kimberly Richey, a Trump appointee leading OCR, contends the matter is “moot” since the RIF notices were eventually rescinded and staff reinstated.
Guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management requires thorough documentation of cost and savings analyses, which the department reportedly communicated verbally to OMB, as per GAO’s findings. Congress awaits a report from the department within 180 days to determine the next steps.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, who commissioned the GAO study, criticized the administration’s actions, stating, “Instead, the Trump administration fired half of those working to protect the civil rights of students and wasted as much as $38 million in taxpayer dollars by preventing investigators from doing their jobs. That is unacceptable.”
Impact on Civil Rights Complaints
GAO data indicates that from March to September, OCR resolved over 7,000 discrimination complaints, with approximately 90% dismissed without further investigation. While dismissals are standard practice, the frequency raises questions. Previously, during Trump’s first term, 81% of such complaints were dismissed, compared to 49% under the Obama administration.
Public records provide further insight into OCR’s operations during Trump’s second term:
- Only two racial harassment cases resulted in resolution agreements post-2025 inauguration, compared to over 30 in 2017.
- Disability discrimination cases resolved with agreements in 2017 were tenfold compared to 2025.
- In 2017, OCR resolved nearly 60 sexual harassment cases, a stark contrast to none in 2025.
Beth Gellman-Beer, former head of OCR’s Philadelphia office, expressed confusion over this decline, noting that addressing sexual assault and harassment was prioritized during Trump’s first term.
Despite reaching out, NPR received no response from the Education Department regarding the 2025 resolution statistics. The GAO report and NPR’s previous reporting suggest that if the administration proceeds with staff reductions, OCR’s workforce could be reduced to just 62 employees, a fraction of its previous size.
