Federal Court Victory on Department of Education Protects Student Civil Rights, for Now

May 22. 2025

For Immediate Release
May 22, 2025

Media Contact
Nazirah Ahmad
[email protected]

Statement from Noreen Farrell, Executive Director of Equal Rights Advocates, on today’s federal court ruling blocking President Trump’s executive order targeting the Department of Education

May 22, 2025 – Today’s historic federal court ruling blocking President Trump’s executive order attempting to dismantle the Department of Education is a victory for the millions of students who depend on federal civil rights protections and educational support programs. It’s a reminder to the president that he is not a king. 

For months, we’ve watched the Trump administration’s reckless and illegal assault on one of our most fundamental institutions. This executive overreach threatened to harm millions of students across the country by stripping away critical federal oversight that ensures equal education for all students. 

“Students in this country are worth a fully functioning Department of Education, and we will not allow political extremism to strip away decades of progress toward educational equity…”

The court’s decision affirms what we’ve always known: the president cannot unilaterally eliminate a department created by Congress through executive order. While the administration claimed this would “return power to the states,” in reality it would have effectively removed the federal protections that Title IX and other civil rights laws provide to students facing discrimination and harassment.

This ruling is particularly significant for the students served by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, which plays an irreplaceable role in investigating complaints of sexual harassment and assault in schools. Without federal oversight, vulnerable students would be left without recourse when schools fail to protect them.

We applaud the court’s ruling, but this fight is far from over. We will continue to monitor the administration’s actions closely and stand ready to challenge any future attempts to undermine students’ rights to a safe and equitable education.

Students in this country are worth a fully functioning Department of Education, and we will not allow political extremism to strip away decades of progress toward educational equity and civil rights protection.

To request an interview with Noreen Farrell, contact Blake Case at [email protected] or (601) 832-6079. 

Equal Rights Advocates fights for gender justice in workplaces and schools across the country. Since 1974, they have been fighting on the front lines of social justice to protect and advance rights and opportunities for women, girls, and people of all gender identities through groundbreaking legal cases and bold legislation that sets the stage for the rest of the nation. equalrights.org