Washington, D.C. – According to recent reports, the Department of Education is expected to announce that two of its vital offices will illegally be transferred to outside federal departments: The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services will be moved to Health and Human Services, and the Office for Civil Rights will be transferred to the Department of Justice.  

“The illegal transfer of these offices that offer critical services is alarming,” said Shiwali Patel, senior director of education justice at National Women’s Law Center. “With this move, the Trump administration would be systematically dismantling the Department of Education’s infrastructure that protects students’ civil rights and equal access to education, eroding protections for millions of students. It is a blatant attack on public education, and will further confuse students and faculty after a year of RIFs, restructures, and enforcement office closures at the Department of Education.” 

“Since the Trump administration took office, it has shoved students and faculty into the crosshairs of an ideological battle. On one side are students who desperately need resources and protections from discrimination, including racial harassment, seclusion and restraint, and sexual violence. On the other side is a small group of people who are deliberately working to weaken Title IX and Title VI, abandon civil rights investigations, and ensure schools are not a welcoming space for all students.”