Trump Administration Reinstates Education Staff Amid Backlog Concerns

Sat Dec 06 2025 09:36:12 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a move to combat rising discrimination complaint backlogs, the Trump administration is calling back education department employees originally earmarked for layoffs, despite ongoing legal disputes surrounding the agency's staffing cuts.

The U.S. Department of Education, faced with a mounting backlog of discrimination complaints, has reinstated dozens of staff from its Office for Civil Rights, who were planned for layoffs. While the department confirms this temporary measure, it still aims to reduce its workforce to address efficiency concerns amid escalating complaints. The agency's civil rights office continues to grapple with a substantial case backlog, raising alarms among advocates and impacted families.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is reinstating dozens of employees within the Education Department who were originally slated for layoffs, citing the need to address a substantial backlog of discrimination complaints from students and families.

The employees had been on administrative leave while the department faced ongoing litigation contesting layoffs in its Office for Civil Rights, which is responsible for investigating potential discrimination across educational institutions. In a letter released Friday, officials directed the affected workers to return to duty starting December 15 to expedite resolution of pending civil rights cases.

Despite this reinstatement, department representatives have indicated a persistent intention to proceed with workforce reductions to minimize the department's overall size.

The Department will continue to manage the ongoing legal disputes regarding these staffing reductions, but for now, we will utilize all available resources funded by taxpayers, stated Julie Hartman, a department spokesperson.

In their communication, obtained by The Associated Press, officials underscored the necessity for all employees in the Office for Civil Rights to focus primarily on their existing workload. The office assesses a variety of complaints ranging from disability rights violations to racial discrimination issues.

The overall employment within the Education Department has been significantly reduced under Trump, dropping from 4,100 to roughly half that figure amidst ongoing efforts to reel in agency operations. More than 200 staff members from the Office for Civil Rights were identified for termination earlier this year, but these moves have been mired in legal obstacles.

As of now, the discrimination complaint backlog has surged from approximately 20,000 cases when Trump took office to over 25,000, which advocates argue reflects inadequacies in addressing injustices within the education system.

Former employees have voiced skepticism regarding the Office for Civil Rights' capacity to manage the escalated case load, particularly following staffing cuts that have rendered the office seemingly inefficient. Several families awaiting resolutions on complaints against schools have cited prolonged periods of inactivity from the department, spurring concerns over the effectiveness of current staffing levels.

The Office for Civil Rights enforces essential laws prohibiting discrimination in education, with the authority to suspend funding for non-compliant institutions, though many cases are typically settled through voluntary agreements. This latest turmoil over staffing and efficiency continues to unfold as the department seeks to adapt.