A4TE Statement on Trump Executive Order to Abolish US Department of Education

Washington, D.C. – Today, Trump signed an executive order that unlawfully attempts to dismantle the US Department of Education and pressures agency officials to violate the civil rights laws the agency is tasked with upholding. Caius Willingham, Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) Policy Analyst, released the following statement: 

“The US Department of Education is responsible for a range of programs that protect students, including student loan forgiveness, federal financial aid, and grants supporting students with disabilities, evaluating new teaching techniques, and increasing the skill of the education workforce. The Department of Education also strives to protect every child’s right to free, safe, and accessible educational programs and activities. 

“Yet Trump’s executive order demonstrates his disdain for the Department of Education’s mission to ensure every child has access to a quality education free from harassment and discrimination. The White House’s unconstitutional executive order is part of a concerted effort to further Project 2025’s goals of defunding public schools and turning the clock back to a pre-Brown v. Board of Education era. 

“The layoffs announced on March 11 and the administration’s intention to gut the Department of Education will profoundly impact all students. The 45-year-old agency is tasked with the critical responsibility of enforcing important federal nondiscrimination laws that protect students, including Title IX of the Civil Rights Act’s protection against sex-based harassment or discrimination; Title VI’s protection against discrimination against students of color and families that speak languages other than English; and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s guarantee of equal access to education for students with disabilities. What’s more, millions of low-income students rely on federal financial aid such as Pell Grants. 

“Transgender students risk being acutely impacted, but Title IX still protects transgender students from discriminatory dress codes, discrimination involving participation in gender-separated education programs and activities (including sports and leadership programs), discrimination involving access to school facilities (like restrooms and locker rooms), and harassment. 

“The President lacks the power to abolish the Department of Education or disrupt its crucial investments in America's youth, which ensure that every child has access to high-quality education free from discrimination or harassment, regardless of race, color, nationality, religion, disability, and sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, sex characteristics, and pregnancy-related conditions). It’s up to Congress reject this bully’s unlawful act and to defend our nation’s students.”