Court: District of Massachusetts

Overview:

In March 2025, half of the staff of the U.S. Department of Education were fired. Many of these staff had roles that helped students with disabilities. A coalition of educators, school districts, and unions has filed a lawsuit to stop the mass layoffs and dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. The lawsuit argues that these actions violate the Constitution and federal law and must be stopped.  

Case Documents:

• Complaint
• Motion for Preliminary Injunction
• Declaration of Katy Neas, The Arc US, in Support of PI
• Decision on Consolidated Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction

Resources:

• Case Explainer
• Video Update for Chapters on Federal Education Policy
• Democracy Forward Case Page: Educators, School Districts, and Workers Sue to Stop Trump’s Plan to Dismantle the Department of Education

Media

• Newsweek: Department of Education Helps Students With Disabilities. Don’t Let It Disappear | Opinion
• CNN: Dismantling the Department of Education will strip resources from disabled children, parents and advocates say
• New York Times: Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Dismantling Education Department