Facing a surge in unresolved school discrimination cases, the US Department of Education has ordered around 250 laid-off employees to temporarily return to duty while legal challenges over their layoffs continue
An internal email dated December 5, obtained by USA TODAY, shows the US Department of Education recalling hundreds of employees it dismissed months ago as the Office for Civil Rights struggles with a rapidly expanding backlog of school discrimination cases. The “return to duty” order highlights the growing pile of unresolved complaints and signals the department’s need to pull in all available personnel to manage the caseload.
According to the agency, the request covers roughly 250 employees who have been on administrative leave while legal challenges continue over their March dismissals. Julie Hartman, the department’s press secretary for legal affairs, emphasised that there are still no plans to reinstate these workers permanently. In a statement to USA TODAY, she said the department will continue appealing the ongoing litigation concerning the Reductions in Force while utilising all employees currently being funded by American taxpayers.
Civil Rights Office Reduced after months of upheaval
The recall marks the latest turn in a months-long disruption that has reshaped one of the federal department’s most significant offices, which President Donald Trump has pledged to close. Students, parents and educators nationwide have relied on the Office for Civil Rights, or OCR, to uphold antidiscrimination laws, particularly for students with disabilities. The office has played a key role in ensuring equal access to education for families unable to pursue costly legal action against schools or universities.
As the Trump administration has continued its efforts to dismantle the Education Department without securing congressional support, the civil rights office has been reduced considerably. Hundreds of staff have been laid off, and major regional branches, including those in Philadelphia and Boston, have been largely shut down. Of the roughly 450 individuals still listed as OCR employees, only about 60 have not received layoff notices in the past year, according to court documents.
Nearly 250 employees were initially terminated in March, while another 137 were dismissed during the October government shutdown, though those firings were later reversed under an agreement to end the funding dispute.
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