President Trump has slashed half of the U.S. Department of Education’s workforce in a direct attack on America’s students, educators, and the future of public education—and Connecticut’s attorney general is fighting back.
“By firing thousands of dedicated public servants who work every day to expand learning opportunities, support educators, and ensure students have the resources they need to thrive, this administration has made it clear that they do not value our nation’s children or their futures,” says CEA President Kate Dias.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong yesterday joined a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general in suing the Trump administration to stop the dismantling of the Department of Education.
“Do not play politics with our kids’ education,” he said. “This is not a meme or an empty threat—these are thousands of jobs on the line and core support systems for our schools across Connecticut and the country. Congress did not authorize this, and American families do not want this. We are suing and will seek an immediate court order to block this lawless attack on kids and schools.”
Yesterday the United States District Court for Maryland responded to earlier action by Tong and other state attorneys general and issued a temporary restraining order for 18 federal agencies, including the Department of Education, ordering them to stop illegal mass layoffs of federal probationary employees and to reinstate fired employees by 1:00pm on Monday, March 17, 2025.
The temporary restraining order only applies to probationary employees, and Tong and the coalition will continue to pursue their lawsuit to reverse the layoffs, which they maintain are so massive that the Department of Education will be incapacitated and unable to perform essential functions.
“The Department of Education is the fiscal distributor of all resources to our public schools and provides oversight to make sure students’ rights are maintained,” CEA President Kate Dias told Melissa in the Morning during a WICC radio interview this week. “Families depend on the Department of Education to provide not only essential services for the K-12 system but also access to higher education as well, through FAFSA and student loan programs.”
Dias said that the actions of Tong and other state attorneys general are vital to protecting students’ rights and urged Congress to act to protect public education.
“We greatly appreciate having an attorney general who is willing to stand up and fight for the rights of children to get the education they deserve,” she said. “I’m proud to stand with Attorney General Tong to fight against these devastating cuts. Our kids deserve better, and our communities deserve better.”
For more on cuts to the U.S. Department of Education watch Dias this Sunday on Fox61’s The Real Story at 10 a.m.
“As Attorney General Tong battles the firings in court, there’s much we can do on the state and local levels to fight back,” Dias says. “Join us on Wednesday, March 19, by wearing red and attending our Digital Rally for Our Future: When Institutions Fail, We Rise to learn about the changes we can make here in Connecticut to protect our students and schools.”
