Why Supreme Court's approval of 1,400 US Education Department layoffs is called 'willfully blind' and 'naive'
US Education Department layoffs 2025:
The US Supreme Court has allowed President Trump to proceed with his plan to lay off nearly 1,400 employees from the US Department of Education, effectively enabling a large-scale downsizing of the agency.
This ruling reverses a preliminary injunction issued by Boston's Judge Myong Joun, who had blocked the layoffs, citing concerns that the cuts would cripple the department's operations.
The decision has sparked sharp criticism from three liberal justices, who dissented, branding the Supreme Court's ruling as "willfully blind" and "naive." The dissenters argue that the ruling threatens the constitutional principle of separation of powers by allowing the executive branch to effectively dismantle a federal agency by firing its employees.
Supreme Court backs Trump's plan despite legal challenges
The Supreme Court's order permits the Trump administration to move forward with the mass layoffs, pausing Judge Joun's injunction that had prevented the terminations. The Education Department staff affected by the layoffs had been on paid leave since March, according to the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252. Without the injunction, these employees would have been terminated in early June.
The case involves two consolidated lawsuits, one filed by several school districts in Massachusetts and education groups including the American Federation of Teachers, and another by a coalition of 21 Democratic attorneys general. Both suits argue that the layoffs amount to an illegal closure of the Education Department, leaving it unable to fulfil its statutory duties such as supporting special education, distributing financial aid, and enforcing civil rights laws.
In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan, wrote that the majority was "either willfully blind to the implications of its ruling or naive," warning of a "grave" threat to the US Constitution's separation of powers, as reported by the Associated Press.
Department of Education response and ongoing disputes
Education Secretary Linda McMahon criticised the delay caused by the lower court's injunction and welcomed the Supreme Court's intervention, calling it "a shame" it took the highest court to confirm the president's authority over federal staffing and agency operations, as reported by the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, more than 20 US states have filed lawsuits against the administration over billions of dollars in frozen education funding that support after-school care, summer programmes and other initiatives. The department has indicated it is "actively assessing how to reintegrate" the affected employees, requesting updates on their employment status to ensure a smooth return to duty if possible.
Summary of key details
Issue
Detail
Number of layoffs
Nearly 1,400 employees
Initial court action
Judge Myong Joun issued an injunction blocking layoffs
Supreme Court ruling
Allowed layoffs to proceed in a 6–3 decision
Dissenting justices
Sotomayor, Jackson, Kagan
Lawsuits
Filed by Massachusetts school districts, education groups, and 21 Democratic attorneys general
Department duties affected
Special education, financial aid distribution, civil rights enforcement
Employee status
On paid leave since March; no full return to work during injunction
The Supreme Court ruling thus permits the Trump administration's controversial downsizing plan to continue despite ongoing legal challenges and warnings from dissenting justices about the potential damage to the Education Department's capacity and constitutional governance.
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