Supreme Court allows Trump to proceed with his plan to dismantle the Department of Education

The Supreme Court on Monday authorized President Donald Trump to move forward with his plan to dismantle the Department of Education, allowing the layoff of approximately 1,400 employees.

The decision, which had the dissenting vote of the three liberal justices, suspended an earlier order by U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston, who had blocked the layoffs and questioned the legality of the plan.

The high court's action, which did not explain its ruling as is customary in emergency appeals, allows the Trump Administration to resume efforts to significantly reduce the Education Department, one of the president's major campaign promises.

The judges' statements

In their dissenting statement, the Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan, criticized the decision, arguing that "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.” 

For her part, Education Secretary Linda McMahon celebrated the ruling, in an official Department of Education release, but called the need for Supreme Court intervention a "shame." "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”, McMahon said.

The case stems from two consolidated lawsuits challenging the legality of Trump's plan, arguing that the layoffs compromise the Education Department's ability to fulfill responsibilities set by Congress, such as supporting special education, distributing financial aid and enforcing civil rights laws.

Previously filed lawsuits

One of the lawsuits was filed by the Somerville and Easthampton school districts in Massachusetts, along with the American Federation of Teachers and other education groups. The other was brought by a coalition of 21 Democratic attorneys general.

The affected employees, represented in part by the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, have been on paid leave since March. Although Judge Joun's order had prevented their outright dismissal, no workers had been authorized to return to duty.

The Department of Education, in an email sent in early June, asked employees to report whether they had found other employment, with the goal of facilitating a possible "smooth and informed" reinstatement.