The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is facing severe staff reductions after the Trump administration announced layoffs that will eliminate nearly half of the office’s workforce. The cuts, part of a broader effort to downsize the federal government, leave thousands of civil rights complaints unresolved and raise concerns about how cases will be handled moving forward.
Among the 1,300 layoffs revealed on Tuesday, approximately 240 positions were cut from the Office for Civil Rights, according to documents verified by the Associated Press. Seven of the office’s 12 regional branches—including major locations in New York, Chicago, and Dallas—were completely shut down.
Civil Rights Complaints in Jeopardy
The layoffs come as the department grapples with a backlog of more than 20,000 complaints, including cases involving students with disabilities, allegations of racial and religious discrimination, and claims of sexual violence at educational institutions.
Michael Pillera, a senior civil rights attorney with the office, expressed concerns that families may face long delays in receiving responses to their complaints.
“I fear they won’t get their calls answered, their complaints won’t move,” Pillera said. “I truly don’t understand how a handful of offices could handle the entire country.”
Department officials, however, have assured that civil rights investigations will continue despite the downsizing.
“The Office for Civil Rights will still deliver on its mission,” said spokesperson Madison Biedermann. “It will have to look different, and we know that.”
Broader Impact on Education Oversight
The layoffs also affected other key divisions within the Education Department, including Federal Student Aid, which oversees the student loan program, and the Institute of Education Sciences, responsible for education research and assessments.
President Donald Trump has long advocated for reducing the role of the federal government in education, calling the Department of Education a “con job” and suggesting that power should be transferred to individual states. On Wednesday, he defended the layoffs, stating that his administration was “keeping the best ones.”
Following the cuts, the Office for Civil Rights will now only have offices in Washington, D.C., and five remaining regional locations. Offices in Dallas, Chicago, New York, Boston, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and San Francisco have been shut down.
Uncertain Future for Civil Rights Investigations
The loss of regional offices raises concerns about how civil rights cases will be investigated in areas no longer served by local staff.
“We have to physically go to schools,” Pillera said. “We have to look at the playground to see if it’s accessible for kids with disabilities. We have to measure doorways and bathrooms to see if everything is accessible.”
Even before the latest layoffs, the Office for Civil Rights had been struggling with an increasing number of complaints while losing staff. In 2024 alone, the office received nearly 23,000 complaints—a record high.
Meanwhile, the office has been handling a growing number of cases involving allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia, particularly in light of ongoing tensions related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Last week, newly appointed civil rights chief Craig Trainor directed staff to prioritize antisemitism cases, accusing the Biden administration of failing to hold colleges accountable.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon, in her confirmation hearing, stated that the administration was not aiming to defund critical programs but rather to make them more efficient. She suggested that civil rights enforcement could be transferred to the Department of Justice in the future.
Legal and Administrative Fallout
The layoffs also hit the Education Department’s Office of the General Counsel, which provides legal oversight for department policies and funding. The majority of attorneys who worked on K-12 education oversight were let go, leaving just a small group focused on higher education and financial aid programs.
An internal email sent to remaining employees acknowledged that significant changes would be required moving forward.
“What we choose to prioritize, and in turn, not prioritize, will be critical in this transition,” the message stated.
With major questions lingering over how civil rights complaints will be handled, education advocates warn that the effects of these cuts could be felt for years to come.
