STATEMENT: Trump administration abandons equal education by carving up Department of Education

June 16. 2026

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For Immediate Release
Jun 16, 2026

Media Contact
Nazirah Ahmad
[email protected]

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Statement from Noreen Farrell, executive director of gender justice organization Equal Rights Advocates, on the Trump administration moving the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to the DOJ and HHS, respectively 

June 16, 2026 – Today, the Trump Administration announced plans to move the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights to the Department of Justice and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

“Secretary McMahon calls it efficiency. It’s not. This is a dramatic and unlawful deprioritization of our children’s educational rights.”

Relegating major responsibilities of a federal agency created to defend students’ equal education to ill-equipped and wholly inexperienced staff at different agencies is not only an affront to the duty owed to students, it is against the law. That the transfer is being made to federal agencies like the Justice Department, which is being weaponized by the Trump Administration against civil rights defenders, make this announced move all the more egregious and threatening.

Moving these offices threatens equal education for America’s most vulnerable students and purposefully buries students and families in bureaucratic chaos. This administration has long wanted to shutter the agency responsible for our children’s education, without Congressional approval. This move makes them one step closer to doing just that. 

“Moving these offices threatens equal education for America’s most vulnerable students and purposefully buries students and families in bureaucratic chaos.”

Secretary Linda McMahon calls it efficiency. It’s not. This is a dramatic and unlawful deprioritization of our children’s educational rights. It’s more hoops for families to jump through, and ultimately will lead to countless students being harassed, discriminated against, and unable to access the support they’re owed.

The Justice Department and HHS have become instruments of the president’s personal agenda. While the Justice Department focuses on unjustified political prosecutions against political opponents and a civil rights organization, HHS pushes an anti-science and ableist ideology that will harm vulnerable children. These agencies are not equipped to safeguard equal education for our children and are hostile to defending their rights.”

 

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