COLORADO — Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has added the state to another lawsuit against the Trump administration.
On Thursday, March 13, Weiser announced that Colorado is joining the lawsuit against the Trump administration's "dismantling" of the Department of Education (DOE).
The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it will lay off approximately half of the DOE workforce.
Watch Department of Education Announces Plan to Eliminate Roughly Half of Its Workforce
DOE Officials told Scripps News Group that the following employees will be removed from the department:
- 259 staffers who signed up for deferred resignation
- 313 staffers who accepted $25,000 voluntary separation incentive payments
- 1,315 staffers who are now subject to the reduction in force
- 63 probationary employees who had their roles eliminated in February
Weiser and 20 other states have filed a lawsuit against this decision.
“Coloradans rely on funding and support from the Department of Education for a range of programs, including for special education, student loan services, and rural teacher training."
“This evisceration of the agency will harm Coloradans, undermine our education system, and create chaos. And it is plainly unconstitutional, as only Congress can lawfully dismantle the department that it created or shut down services it has required the federal government to fund.”
According to Weiser, the DOE programs serve over 50 million K-12 students throughout the country, which includes 18,200 school districts, 98,000 public schools, and 32,000 private schools.
Additionally, Weiser says that this decision will negatively impact school programs in Colorado since the state received "over $1.2 billion from the federal government during the 2024 fiscal year for school programs."
His office believes that the department will be unable to perform efficiently with the layoffs, and students will feel those negative impacts. Weiser is concerned about the 'gutting' of the DOE's Office of Civil Rights (which protects students from discrimination and sexual assault), and possibly making it harder for students to apply for financial aid, access loans, Pell Grants, and work-study.
The lawsuit claims that the administration's decision to cut its workforce and programs is illegal and unconstitutional. The DOE is an agency authorized by Congress, and the lawsuit argues that the Executive Branch doesn't have the legal authority to dismantle it without approval from Congress.
The following states have also joined the lawsuit:
- Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Vermont
- District of Columbia
The Department of Education has given News5 the following response:
“President Trump was elected with a mandate from the American public to return education authority to the states. The Department of Education’s reduction in force (RIF) was implemented carefully and in compliance with all applicable regulations and laws. They are strategic, internal-facing cuts that will not directly impact students and families. No employees working on the FAFSA, student loan servicing, and Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title funds – including formula and discretionary grants programs – were impacted. No employees in the Office of Special Education Programs or the Rehabilitation Services Administration who serve children with disabilities were impacted. The Office for Civil Rights will continue to investigate complaints and vigorously enforce federal civil rights laws. The RIF is being undertaken in accordance with Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 351 and the most recent collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for covered Department employees which went into effect on January 17, 2025.”
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