Department of Education calls back former staff to address civil rights case backlog
A growing number of civil rights complaints is forcing the department to recall staffers that were previously placed on leave.
Months after gutting its Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the U.S. Department of Education is now scrambling to bring back hundreds of employees it previously laid off.
In a Dec. 5 directive obtained by USA TODAY, the Department ordered about 250 furloughed OCR staffers to return later this month to help clear a growing pile of unresolved civil rights complaints. The agency has struggled to stay on top of assessing civil rights complaints and other duties after successive waves of layoffs, including a controversial reduction earlier this year that decimated key regional offices.
The temporary return-to-duty request applies to staff who had been placed on administrative leave following reductions earlier this year.
Legal challenges surrounding those layoffs remain unresolved, but the Department stated it is utilizing available personnel already receiving compensation to meet its obligations more effectively.
The Office for Civil Rights plays a key role in enforcing anti-discrimination laws in K-12 schools and higher education institutions. It has historically provided support to families seeking fair access to educational opportunities, especially those unable to pursue private legal action.
This development reflects the Department’s ongoing efforts to meet its statutory responsibilities during a period of reorganization and legal complexity. As part of a broader shift in administrative priorities, the Department has proposed redistributing certain functions to other federal agencies to streamline operations and reduce redundancy.
[RELATED: Department of Education being dismantled, other agencies will absorb its core functions]
While the reorganization has sparked concerns among some stakeholders, the Department maintains that its approach aims to modernize and refocus federal involvement in education.
The call-back of former OCR staff signals a practical step toward managing immediate caseloads and supporting families awaiting resolution to their civil rights concerns.
