US Department of Education to lay off employees, per agency statement

US Department of Education to lay off employees, per agency statement

The US Department of Education is set to lay off employees due to the ongoing government shutdown, as per an agency statement. The shutdown, which began on September 19, 2025, has led to a lapse in appropriations, causing significant financial strain on federal employees and the agency itself.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal worker union in the nation, has filed a lawsuit against the Education Department over the issue. The union alleges that the department violated employees' First Amendment rights by replacing their out-of-office email messages with partisan language blaming Senate Democrats for the shutdown .

The lawsuit, filed on October 3 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that the department's actions were an attempt to shift blame for the shutdown. The out-of-office messages were modified to say, "Thank you for contacting me. On September 19, 2025, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5371, a clean continuing resolution. Unfortunately, Democrat Senators are blocking passage of H.R. 5371 in the Senate which has led to a lapse in appropriations. Due to the lapse in appropriations, I am currently in furlough status. I will respond to emails once government functions resume."

The department's press office has maintained that the email is factual and does not violate any laws. However, the union and its legal representatives argue that the messages are written in the first person, as if the individual employee is conveying the message, without the employees' consent. This, they say, is a violation of the First Amendment rights of the employees.

The shutdown has had significant financial implications for the department and its employees. Federal workers have gone without a salary since the shutdown began, leading to financial hardship for many. The department has not yet released the exact number of employees who will be laid off, but it is expected to be a significant number.

The lawsuit is a stark reminder of the ongoing political and financial tensions surrounding the shutdown. It also raises important questions about the rights of federal employees and the appropriate role of government agencies in political communications.