May 2025

On May 22, a federal judge in Boston issued a preliminary injunction on actions taken by the Trump administration to launch a reduction in force in the Department of Education and dismantle the department by executive order. The injunction calls for the department to reinstate hundreds of employees who were included in the reduction in force, and blocks the administration from carrying out the executive order to dismantle the department.

The case under Judge Myong J. Joun’s jurisdiction included plaintiffs from school districts, states, and union groups that opposed the administration on the basis that the reduction in force and the executive order were unlawful as they would require action by Congress.

Joun also noted the apparent harms that districts and states would face without access to IES resources and data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

“Regarding cuts to IES, two of the country’s most vulnerable student populations, English language learners and students with special needs, will be particularly harmed,” Joun wrote. “Absent an injunction, Plaintiff States and School Districts will no longer have access to data and research that guide student education and educational programming, which can range from bullying prevention for students with disabilities to technical assistance for how to implement IDEA and Title III funding appropriately.”

On May 21, a Maryland judge heard arguments for an injunction to protect IES from the administration’s cuts, in a lawsuit filed by AERA and the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (see related story).