Blackwell: Mass Dept. of Ed Layoffs Are a Betrayal to Students

WASHINGTON, D. C. — The American Association of University Women (AAUW), the leading organization for gender equity in higher education, responded to the U.S. Supreme Court granting a request from the Trump Administration to proceed with a reduction‑in‑force affecting nearly 1,400 employees. 

The following is a statement from Gloria L. Blackwell, AAUW’s Chief Executive Officer: 

“Secretary McMahon’s claim that these layoffs ‘will not directly’ harm students and families is flatly false. These mass layoffs, the wholesale dismissal of thousands of civil rights complaints, the withholding of billions in federal funding, and the chaos imposed on borrowers are not mere administrative errors—they are deliberate tactics that threaten educational equity, student safety, and financial security.” 

We are already witnessing direct impacts on students: 

• Civil rights enforcement crippled: The Office for Civil Rights dismissed 3,424 complaints between March 11 and June 27, shutting the door on investigations into discrimination across race, disability, sex, and national origin. 

• Borrowers in chaos: Uncertainty over which agency will manage federal loan portfolios, coupled with servicers pausing the tracking of loan‑forgiveness payments, has left millions of students unable to verify their progress toward relief 

• Critical programs cut off: The Department has withheld nearly $6.8 billion in formula funding—jeopardizing English learner services, after‑school programs, and special education supports that students rely on to succeed. 

All of these actions are a betrayal to our students, and AAUW will continue to fight to restore and defend their rights. 

###  

AAUW (American Association of University Women) is the nation’s leading organization for equity in higher education and women’s economic empowerment. Founded in 1881 by women who defied society’s conventions by earning college degrees, AAUW has since worked to increase women’s access, opportunity, and equity in higher education through research, advocacy, and philanthropy of over $146 million, supporting thousands of women scholars. Learn more at aauw.org