Story perspectives

Education Dept Halts Layoffs, Rehires Attorneys Amid Funding Cut

4/30/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Education Department announced it is rescinding hundreds of layoffs and rehiring civil-rights attorneys.
The Office of Civil Rights reports a backlog of about 12,000 unresolved discrimination cases.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found the department spent up to $38 million on paid administrative leave after a court blocked layoffs.
The 2027 budget would cut OCR funding from $140 million to $91 million and reduce staff from 327 to 271 positions.

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Story summary

The Education Department announced it is rescinding hundreds of layoffs and rehiring civil-rights attorneys.
The Office of Civil Rights reports a backlog of about 12,000 unresolved discrimination cases.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found the department spent up to $38 million on paid administrative leave after a court blocked layoffs.
The 2027 budget would cut OCR funding from $140 million to $91 million and reduce staff from 327 to 271 positions.