Fired Education Department workers say the 'fight isn't over'

Source: USA Today

July 17, 2025, 8:35 a.m. ET


WASHINGTON – These days, it seems all Beth Gellman-Beer does is wait. First, she waited to see whether President Donald Trump would follow through on his promise to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. She's worked there for nearly two decades, helping prevent students from experiencing the bullying she faced growing up with disabilities.

Then, in March, she and more than 1,300 of her coworkers were laid off, and she waited to see if a court would intervene. By May, a federal judge in Boston had reinstated her position and those of many of her colleagues.

Now, she's in limbo again. On July 14, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to carry on with its massive Education Department layoffs while a lawsuit proceeds. An exception temporarily shielded her job. In the days following the order, Gellman-Beer and other fired workers have expressed disappointment with the decision, though most weren't surprised by it.

They warned that the consequences some schools and students are already suffering after the layoffs may worsen. Key information that teachers rely on to make decisions has already been jeopardized. College financial aid could face more disruptions. And it's not clear the department has the staffing it needs to smoothly implement the education provisions of President Trump's major tax and spending law.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2025/07/17/education-department-workers-react-to-layoffs/85244731007/