Press Releases
05/22/2025
Attorney General Tong Wins Court Order Stopping Dismantling of Department of Education
(Hartford,
CT) — Attorney General William Tong today won
a court order stopping the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the
Department of Education (ED). On March 13, Attorney General Tong joined a
coalition of 20 other attorneys general in suing the administration after it
announced plans to eliminate 50 percent of ED’s workforce. Following a March 20th
Executive Order directing the closure of ED and President Trump’s March 21st
announcement that, in addition to implementing layoffs, the Department must
“immediately” transfer student loan management and special education services
outside of the Department, Attorney General Tong and the coalition sought a
preliminary injunction to immediately stop the mass layoffs and transfer of
services. Today, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
granted the preliminary injunction, halting the administration’s policies that
would dismantle ED and ordering all employees who were fired as part of the
layoffs to be reinstated.
“This
was a lawless political attack on our kids and our schools. We sued, we’ve
stopped them for now, and we’ll stay in court for as long as it takes to
protect education in this country,” said Attorney General Tong.
The
coalition argued in their lawsuit and motion for a preliminary injunction that
the Trump administration’s attacks on ED are illegal and unconstitutional. The
ED is an executive agency authorized by Congress, with numerous laws creating
its various programs and funding streams. The coalition’s lawsuit asserts that
the executive branch does not have the legal authority to unilaterally
dismantle it without an act of Congress. In addition, the coalition argues that
ED’s mass layoffs violate the Administrative Procedures Act.
Joining
Attorney General Tong in filing the lawsuit are the attorneys general of
Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode
Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.
- Twitter: @AGWilliamTong
- Facebook: CT Attorney General
Media Contact:
Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov
Consumer Inquiries:
860-808-5318
attorney.general@ct.gov