Trump Administration Seeks 49% Cut to School Civil Rights Staff as McMahon Pushes Hiring
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 22
Trump Administration Seeks 49% Cut to School Civil Rights Staff as McMahon Pushes Hiring
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 22
The White House asked Congress to cut Education Department civil rights staffing to 271 from 530, a 49% reduction, even as Education Secretary Linda McMahon told lawmakers she wants to add lawyers.
Two White House officials said McMahon should work within the proposed budget, contradicting her testimony that the request was merely a floor for hiring rather than a negotiating ceiling.
Rachel Cauley of the Office of Management and Budget said the plan continues Trump's push to wind down the federal education bureaucracy after judges blocked an earlier attempt to fire civil rights lawyers.
The clash exposes an unusual public split inside the administration over how aggressively to shrink the Education Department while redirecting civil rights enforcement against diversity programs and transgender student protections.
With some federal agencies reducing civil rights enforcement, why is the Justice Department increasing its actions?
How are schools navigating conflicting state and federal rules on student civil rights protections?