New Jersey Young Democrats Disabilities Caucus Denounces Trump Administration and Secretary Linda McMahon Over Layoffs in the Department of Education

Trenton, NJ - The New Jersey Young Democrats Disabilities Caucus (NJYDDC) condemns in the strongest terms the Trump Administration’s recent actions—led by Secretary Linda McMahon—to lay off nearly all staff within the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). These reckless and harmful decisions, carried out on October 10, 2025, occurred during a federal government shutdown and have effectively shut down the federal offices responsible for protecting the civil and educational rights of millions of Americans with Disabilities in the public education system.

These terminations, occurring during National Disability Employment Awareness Month and just weeks before the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), demonstrate a profound disregard for the rights of disabled students and workers. By gutting the federal enforcement mechanisms behind IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), this Administration has chosen to abandon its legal and moral duty to uphold equality and access for all.

We cannot ignore the timing or the message this sends. For half a century, our nation—thanks to the relentless leadership of Judy Heumann, often called the Mother of the Disability Rights Movement—has worked to ensure that Children with Disabilities have the right to learn, thrive, and belong in public education. These laws were not gifts; they were won through protest, perseverance, and bipartisan commitment to justice. To dismantle the offices that enforce them is to attempt to erase that progress and silence the community that fought for it.

The impact of these layoffs is immediate and devastating: thousands of unresolved civil rights complaints will go unaddressed, millions of students risk losing access to federally guaranteed educational services, and families will be forced to navigate complex systems alone without the support of the federal government. We hold Secretary Linda McMahon personally responsible for this crisis and urge her to reverse these layoffs immediately.

Following a wave of public outcry and multiple legal challenges, a federal judge, Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, issued a temporary injunction on October 15, 2025, blocking the Department of Education from proceeding with these layoffs. This decision halts the terminations while the courts review whether the actions violated federal law and the Department’s obligation under the IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act.

Though this pause offers temporary protection for millions of students and families, it does not resolve the long-term threat to Special Education oversight and enforcement. The New Jersey Young Democrats Disabilities Caucus calls on state education leaders to remain vigilant and to ensure that New Jersey continues to uphold IDEA’s guarantees for Students with Disabilities, regardless of ongoing federal uncertainty.

Until full staffing and oversight are restored at the federal level, New Jersey must take proactive steps to safeguard the rights of every Disabled student to a free and appropriate public education.

To address this urgent situation, the federal government must provide full support to the Department of Education, including the reinstatement of all employees in OSEP, OCR, and RSA. Restoring staff in all units is critical to resolving the thousands of pending cases, providing necessary oversight, and guaranteeing that students with disabilities receive the services, accommodations, and protections to which they are legally entitled. Federal leadership must ensure that no student’s rights under IDEA, Section 504, or the Rehabilitation Act are denied due to staffing shortages or administrative neglect.

This is a federal responsibility, not a state’s responsibility. States cannot be expected to fill the gaps left by these actions. Shifting this burden undermines the purpose of IDEA, Section 504, and the Rehabilitation Act, and threatens nationwide consistency and accountability for students with disabilities in public education. These actions also reflect a broader disregard for civil and human rights, which we strongly oppose.

As the New Jersey Young Democrats Disabilities Caucus, we reaffirm our mission to empower young Disabled Democrats and their allies to advocate for accessibility, equity, and belonging at every level of government. We call on federal officials and Congress to restore staffing, funding, and oversight to these critical offices, and to protect the legal and civil rights of students and families across the nation. New Jersey will hold the federal government accountable, but the leadership must come from Washington, D.C., where IDEA was written, championed, and must continue to be enforced.

Disability rights are civil rights. The protections in IDEA, Section 504, the Rehabilitation Act, and the ADA are not optional—they are the law. The NJYDDC will continue to organize, educate, and fight to ensure that every disabled student in New Jersey—and across the nation—receives the protections and opportunities guaranteed by law. We will continue to speak loudly and proudly to ensure that disabled students have a chance to learn and grow in the classrooms and beyond. We won’t be silenced, and we will not allow decades of progress to be erased.

 ###

Our Mission: Organize. Engage. Advocate. Elect.

NJYD members are making a difference at all levels of government. From grassroots activists to governmental staffers to elected officials, New Jersey Young Democrats is working to effect progressive change in the Garden State.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.njyoungdems.com.