WASHINGTON (AP) — Numerous employees at the U.S. Education Department have been placed on paid administrative leave following President Donald Trump’s directive to halt diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within the federal government, as reported by a labor union representing hundreds of agency workers.
The exact number of employees on leave and the reasons for this action remain unclear, according to Sheria Smith, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 252. The impacted employees come from various departments within the agency, ranging from those managing funds for K-12 schools to those enforcing civil rights laws.
This development coincides with efforts by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reduce programs and federal personnel in various government departments, including the U.S. Agency for International Development. At least 55 Education Department employees received notifications on Friday informing them of immediate paid leave following Trump’s executive order, with the reassurance that this was not for disciplinary purposes.
Those placed on leave were instructed to refrain from office attendance and had their government email access suspended. The affected individuals include staff members and managers from the agency’s Washington headquarters and regional offices nationwide, totaling over 4,000 employees.
According to Smith, a common thread among those put on leave is their participation in the Diversity Change Agent program, a training initiative promoted by the department for several years, even during Trump’s first term. Many employees believed this training was either strongly encouraged or mandatory.
Some employees, speaking anonymously, expressed concerns that this move could disrupt critical functions within the agency, such as managing federal student loans and processing student financial aid applications (FAFSA).
Trump’s order mandates placing all DEI personnel in the federal government on paid leave with eventual termination, as part of a broader crackdown on diversity programs deemed by the president as discriminatory. Trump has previously vowed to dismantle the Education Department, alleging infiltration by individuals he terms as “radicals, zealots, and Marxists,” advocating for transferring the agency’s authority to states and schools.
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