President Donald Trump’s latest and largest move to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education was met Thursday with a federal lawsuit by 21 attorneys general, led by state AG Anne Lopez.

What You Need To Know

  • The suit comes two days after the Trump administration announced the firing of 1,300 ED employees, roughly half of the department’s total workforce
  • The suit alleges that the president’s actions to dismantle the department are illegal and unconstitutional given that the executive branch does not have the authority to unilaterally incapacitate or dismantle an executive agency authorized by Congress
  • The suit seeks to block the administration from moving ahead with the firings and other actions aimed at dismantling the department
  • Trump has been outspoken of his intention to ultimately eliminate ED, both as a matter of cost reduction and government efficiency as well as a means of shifting responsibility for education to the individual states

 

The suit comes two days after the Trump administration announced the firing of 1,300 ED employees, roughly half of the department’s total workforce.

“If these cuts go through, and the dismantling of the Department of Education proceeds, it will be catastrophic to Hawaii,” Lopez said in a virtual news briefing with the attorneys general for California, Massachusetts and New York. “While much smaller than my colleagues’ states, Hawaii gets, just for K through 12, about $250 million a year. Those monies go to school lunches in the amount of approximately $70 million a year. It goes to our special ed students to make sure that they are able to attend school with their peers.

The suit alleges that the president’s actions to dismantle the department are illegal and unconstitutional given that the executive branch does not have the authority to unilaterally incapacitate or dismantle an executive agency authorized by Congress. The AGs further assert that the mass firing will leave the ED unable to perform essential functions, thereby depriving resources and support to students with special needs, disrupting financial aid and loan processing and leaving students without protection from civil rights violations.

The suit seeks to block the administration from moving ahead with the firings and other actions aimed at dismantling the department.

Trump has been outspoken about his intention to ultimately eliminate ED, both as a matter of cost reduction and government efficiency and a means of shifting responsibility for education to the individual states.Lopez, however, rejected what she described as “an empty talking point” regarding state authority.

“The states have always had the responsibility to provide the policy and basic funding for education,” she said, noting that the federal government’s role is to help assure equal access to all American students.

Hawaii Department of Education superintendent Keith Hayashi echoed Lopez’s stand.

“The U.S. Department of Education plays a critical role in ensuring that students — especially those with the greatest needs — have access to the resources and opportunities they deserve,” he said. “Federal education dollars support essential services in our public schools, including special education and school meal programs, and provide salaries for more than 1,100 of our dedicated full-time educators and staff. Any effort to dismantle this agency threatens not only these vital programs, but also the stability of our entire public education system.”

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.