Talk Out of School

The lawsuit to stop Trump from dismantling the Dept of Education

Episode Summary

Leonie interviewed Robert Kim, the Executive Director of the Education Law Center, about the lawsuit they filed on behalf of the NEA, the NAACP, and AFCSME Maryland, to try to stop Trump from dismantling the US Department of Education.

Episode Notes

MPR News, Trump to sign order aiming to close the Education Department, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/03/20/npr-trump-executive-action-education-department

NY Times, Teachers Unions Sue Trump Administration Over Push to Shut Education Dept, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/us/trump-education-department-lawsuit.html

Education Law Center, Coalition Sues Trump Administration For Dismantling Department of Education, Hurting All Students https://edlawcenter.org/coalition-sues-trump-administration-for-dismantling-department-of-education-hurting-all-students

Ed Law Center legal complaint, https://edlawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NAACP-et-al-v-US-et-al-DOE-Complaint.pdf

Press Release from 21 State Attorney Generals about their lawsuit to prevent mass layoffs at the Dept. of Education, https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-continues-fight-stop-trump-shutting-down-department
Their initial complaint https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/state-of-new-york-et-al-v-linda-mcmahon-united-states-department-of-education-complaint-2025.pdf
Their Memo of Law, asking for a Preliminary Injunction after the Executive Order was filed
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/state-of-new-york-et-al-v-linda-mcmahon-et-al-motion-for-preliminary-injunction-2025.pdf

Democracy Forward lawsuit filed on behalf of AFT, University Professors and MA school districts https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/EDComplaint.pdf](https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/EDComplaint.pdf

Ed Week, States Get Antsy as Education Department Layoffs Delay Millions for Schools, https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/states-get-antsy-as-education-department-layoffs-delay-millions-for-schools/2025/03

NY State Education Department affidavit about US Dept of Ed failure to send remaining pandemic school aid https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.281941/gov.uscourts.mad.281941.71.31\_1.pdf

Inside Higher Ed, Education Department Reeling After Layoffs , https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2025/03/25/education-department-staff-struggle-after-mass

Public Funds Public Schools, Bill Tracker for proposed legislation on private school voucher programs https://pfps.org/billtracker/

Inside Higher Ed, Trump’s Plan to Move Student Loans to SBA Raises Concerns, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/student-aid-policy/2025/03/21/small-business-administration-take-over-student-loans

Inside Higher Ed, Poll Finds Abolishing the Education Department ‘Wildly Unpopular’, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/02/06/poll-abolishing-department-education-unpopular

Student Borrower Protection Center, New Poll Confirms: Trump’s Plan to Abolish Department of Education is Extremely Unpopular Among , Voters https://protectborrowers.org/new-poll-confirms-trumps-plan-to-abolish-department-of-education-is-extremely-unpopular-among-voters