The Education Department laid off nearly everyone at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

The agency cut nearly everyone who works to administer federal funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, one staffer said.

The U.S. Department of Education fired nearly everyone in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in a wave of new layoffs that began Friday, according to the union representing the agency’s employees.

Without an official estimate from the agency, it wasn’t immediately clear how many people in the division were fired. Yet based on reports from staff and their managers, most employees below the leadership level were part of the workforce reduction, said Rachel Gittleman, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252.

  • frunch@lemmy.world
    6·
    2 days ago

    From the article:

    In a Friday court filing, the Justice Department said more than 460 Education Department employees had been laid off, cutting roughly a fifth of the agency’s already-hamstrung workforce.

    The terminations, which have hit more than half a dozen federal agencies, are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to pressure congressional Democrats to end the ongoing government shutdown. Nearly 90% of the Education Department is furloughed, too.

    Perhaps i misinterpreted what it’s saying and it’s just regular, garden-variety destruction of government by the fascists?

    • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      13·
      2 days ago

      That’s just USA Today uncritically repeating the disingenuous messaging of the fascists.

      They may SAY that they’re doing it to force shutdown negotiations, but it’s just an excuse. In reality they’ve wanted to eliminate the Education Department since at the very latest 2012, and they just figured that pretending that it’s the Dems fault would spare them the blame when it ruins the lives of millions.

      The worst part is that their cult is so thoroughly brainwashed that they’re almost certainly right 😮‍💨

      • jacksilver@lemmy.world
        6·
        2 days ago

        Yeah, theyve already repeatedly tried to zero out (no funding for) and or close the education department.

        I’ve said it before, but they already played their hand and admitted they want/will decimate the federal government one way or another, so it’s not a negotiation tactic.