Request Reinstatement of U.S. Department of Education Employees Placed on Administrative Leave

#StandFirmEmployees February 5, 2025 

As of today, 75 or more employees at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) have been placed on paid administrative leave for nondisciplinary actions, “pursuant to the President’s executive order on DEIA and further guidance from OPM.” With anticipation of yet another Executive Order looming, ED’s workforce will be stripped to those who are statutorily required to manage grants. These unprecedented actions are causing confusion and concern among ED staff and stakeholders, as most of these employees’ roles are unrelated to DEIA work. Placing these employees on leave is disrupting critical functions and services within ED.

Most of the employees placed on administrative leave were required or tasked to participate in a two-day Diversity Change-Agent training under the previous Trump Administration or lead a training at the Department’s Annual Diversity Summit held in late October 2024.

Madi Biedermann, an ED spokesperson, commented to CNN on February 3, “The agency is evaluating staffing in line with the commitment to prioritizing meaningful learning ahead of divisive ideology in schools and putting student outcomes above special interests.” However, this response fails to address the core issue: the unjustified placement of employees on admin leave that was effective the same day they received the letter leaving them unable to perform their duties which prevents them from playing critical roles in advancing ED’s mission.

ED’s mission is to “promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence andensuring equal access.” The affected employees are integral to this mission, contributing in areas such as civil rights, special education, grant management, and artificial intelligence in education. For instance:

  • Civil rights attorneys handle cases of student discrimination and antisemitism, ensuring equal access to education.
  • Program staff manage grants for the most economically disadvantaged students in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools and institutions.
  • Special education staff manage grants under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), providing essential support for students with disabilities.
  • Program and management analysts analyze educational data and trends, informing future policies and funding decisions to support underserved student populations.

Departments affected by the leave actions include: Federal Student Aid (FSA), Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Office of Communications and Outreach (OCO), Office for Civil Rights(OCR), Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), Office of the GeneralCounsel (OGC), Office of Indian Education (OIE), Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development (OPEPD), and the Office of the Secretary (OS). The widespread impact of the employees placed on administrative leave has already started to have a ripple effect because these actions impact grants and programs that currently serve students, families, educators, and in our nation’s schools undermining ED’s critical mission.

It is crucial for ED to reinstate all these dedicated employees essential to its mission. Fair and transparent staffing processes are needed to ensure that ED continues to provide necessary services and support to students and schools across the country. If you want to help, everygrantee, every State, every college president, every contractor, every organization that does business with ED should contact your Congress members and let them know they are putting non-DEIA folks on indefinite admin leave and violating the sparing use of 5 USC 6329a.

Contact EEOC, MSPB, OPM, the FBI, your local elected officials, churches, sororities, fraternities, NPHC, University Presidents, foundations and nonprofits and ask them to call the White House at 202 456-1111 from 11-3pm Tuesday through Thursday or The Department of Education at 202 401-2000 and let them know that these actions have caused damage to the integrity of our country and could jeopardize our financial stability causing chaos, riots, protests, and other adverse actions.

#ReinstatED

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