RI AG Peter Neronha, 20 Others Sue Trump Administration Over Education Department Cuts

RHODE ISLAND — Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha on Thursday joined a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in suing President Donald Trump's administration to stop the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education.

On March Tuesday, the Trump administration announced the department will fire about 50 percent of its workforce as part of its goal of a “total shutdown” of the department. Neronha said the coalition filed a lawsuit "seeking to stop the targeted destruction of this critical federal agency that ensures tens of millions of students receive a quality education and critical resources."

"The Trump administration’s unlawful attack on the Department of Education is an attack on children from all walks of life across this country," Neronha said. "Let’s drill down to what this means for our kids. As with almost any organization, the Department of Education will be incapacitated by the sudden layoffs of half of its workforce, not to mention the administration’s ultimate goal of eliminating the department altogether."

The department’s workforce will go from 4,133 workers to roughly 2,183 workers. Included in the reduction in force are nearly 600 employees who accepted voluntary resignation opportunities and retirement over the last seven weeks, the Department of Education said.

About 12.3 percent of public school funding in Rhode Island comes from the federal government.

“Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said Tuesday. “I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the department. This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.”

Trump has said he wants to return all control of schools to states. The biggest question for many is what happens to the billions of dollars sent to run public schools every year, such as Title I funding, which supports schools in communities with high concentrations of poverty.

Educating low-income children, students learning English and those with disabilities often costs more because it requires specialized teaching or smaller class sizes. Districts without a strong tax base to fund schools often struggle to meet these students’ needs, which Congress recognized by authorizing the money.

"These massive layoffs will severely undermine the department’s ability to perform basic functions, functions upon which American families rely," Neronha said. "Kids with special needs who require speech therapy and IEPs and transportation; kids in rural communities whose districts rely on federal help to keep up; kids from underserved communities; those who require vocational rehabilitation services; the list goes on. With this action, the administration will cause children harm that cannot be undone, the potential effects of which may continue for the rest of their lives. This is thoughtless, it is reckless, and it must be stopped."

The Department of Education's programs serve nearly 18,200 school districts and over 50 million students attending roughly 98,000 public schools and 32,000 private schools throughout the country. Its higher education programs provide services and support to more than 12 million postsecondary students annually. Students with disabilities and students from low-income families are some of the primary beneficiaries of the department's services and funding.

With this lawsuit, Neronha and the coalition are seeking a court order to stop the administration’s policies, cutting the department's workforce and programs. The coalition argued that the administration’s actions are illegal and unconstitutional. According to the coalition, the executive branch does not have the legal authority to unilaterally incapacitate or dismantle the Department of Education without an act of Congress.

Joining Neronha in filing the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.

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