The U.S. Department of Education confirmed this week that the federal government is closing the Cleveland office for the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights and has sent layoff notices to employees. The office investigates complaints of education-related civil rights violations.
An unsigned statement from the U.S. Department of Education's press office emailed Wednesday to Ideastream Public Media confirmed the closing of the office, which was located in Cleveland's Playhouse Square.
"I can confirm that the regional Cleveland office was closed and all employees in that office were impacted by the reduction in force (RIF)," the person wrote. "I do not have specific personnel numbers at this time."
An attorney at the Cleveland office, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, said the move affects almost 50 people and will have an impact on roughly 1,100 civil-rights cases involving complaints filed by students, parents and others against schools, colleges and universities.
"These people in Ohio and Michigan and the other six offices (for Civil Rights) that were closed... the people and the states that they were responsible for, they are not gonna get justice in any timely manner," she said.
The U.S. Department of Education has moved to abolish half of all Office for Civil Rights locations across the U.S., including Cleveland, Politico reported. The offices serve as local hubs for investigations of violations of the multiple sections of law around gender, race and disability-based discrimination.
The closures are part of a sweeping national move from the Trump administration to cut the size of the U.S. Department of Education nearly in half, from 4,133 employees to 2,183 through a mix of voluntary retirements and layoff notices, according to a news release on the department's website.
Employees have not been allowed back in the building since Tuesday, the Cleveland attorney said; she said employees are still technically employed but have limited access to the tools they need to do their jobs. She said they've been told they will be placed on paid administrative leave starting on March 21.
She said the office's mission has been to ensure students have no barriers to equal access to education.
"Any student who could be discriminated against, there's no protection for them now," she said. "There's no one ensuring the protection of their civil rights for students right now at the federal level."
The office had opened an investigation into Case Western Reserve University last year based on complaints of bias against Palestinian students and their supporters.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to close the U.S. Department of Education, although that would require an act of Congress. Linda McMahon, the recently confirmed secretary of education, said in the press release this week that the layoffs are a "significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system."
“Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” McMahon said. “I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department."
