Education Department Orders Dozens Of OCR Staff Back To Work To Tackle Civil Rights Case Backlog

WASHINGTON — Education Department Reinstates Staff To Address Growing OCR Backlog

The Trump administration has ordered dozens of Education Department employees who were previously targeted for layoffs to return to work beginning Dec. 15, saying their help is urgently needed to reduce a mounting backlog of discrimination complaints from students and families.

Those employees had been placed on administrative leave amid litigation over proposed reductions in the department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which enforces federal laws that prohibit discrimination in education. In a letter to staff obtained by The Associated Press, department officials said they need "all OCR staff to prioritize OCR's existing complaint caseload." The office investigates allegations ranging from disability discrimination to racial and sex-based claims.

“The Department will continue to appeal the persistent and unceasing litigation disputes concerning the Reductions in Force, but in the meantime, it will utilize all employees currently being compensated by American taxpayers,” Julie Hartman, a department spokesperson, said in a statement.

More than 200 OCR employees were targeted in mass layoffs earlier this year, but the firings have been delayed by court challenges since March. Although an appeals court cleared the way for the cuts in September, implementation remained on hold because of a separate lawsuit. Overall, the Education Department workforce has fallen from about 4,100 employees when President Donald Trump took office to roughly half that number as the administration moves to shrink the agency.

The department did not disclose how many of the previously sidelined employees will return to full duty. Some workers who were placed on administrative leave months ago have since left the agency.

According to AP reporting using department data, OCR had an approximate backlog of 20,000 discrimination cases when Trump took office in January; with a significantly reduced staff, that backlog has grown to more than 25,000 cases. Former OCR staffers and advocates say the remaining workforce cannot realistically address the caseload at current staffing levels, and families who filed complaints report long waits and little communication.

The Office for Civil Rights has authority to investigate complaints and, in cases of violations, can seek remedies including withholding federal funds from schools and colleges, though most matters are resolved through voluntary agreements.

Note: The Associated Press contributed reporting to this article. AP retains editorial responsibility for its coverage.