Story perspectives

Agency Spends $38 M to Retain Civil-Rights Staff After Layoff Block

4/30/2026

Summary

Story summary

Agency spent $38 million to keep laid-off civil-rights staff on leave after a court blocked layoffs.
Secretary Linda McMahon said the department will rescind layoffs and hire attorneys to address 12,000 complaints.
Office of Civil Rights resolved 112 cases in 2025—under 1 %—while none of Connecticut’s 70 cases were resolved, Chris Murphy reported.
Interagency agreements moved K-12 grant administration to Labor, leading Department to reimburse up to $262,000 for FY2025 and FY2026.

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Story summary

Agency spent $38 million to keep laid-off civil-rights staff on leave after a court blocked layoffs.
Secretary Linda McMahon said the department will rescind layoffs and hire attorneys to address 12,000 complaints.
Office of Civil Rights resolved 112 cases in 2025—under 1 %—while none of Connecticut’s 70 cases were resolved, Chris Murphy reported.
Interagency agreements moved K-12 grant administration to Labor, leading Department to reimburse up to $262,000 for FY2025 and FY2026.