The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration on Monday, granting the federal government permission to dismantle the Department of Education.
The decision in McMahon v. State of New York was unsigned, but appeared to be divided along conservative vs. liberal lines, with the court’s three liberal justices dissenting. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a 19-page opinion against her colleagues’ judgment, supported by justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Granting the executive branch authority to dismantle the Education Department is “indefensible,” Sotomayor wrote. “The majority is either willfully blind to the implications of its ruling or naive, but either way the threat to our Constitution’s separation of powers is grave.”
During his presidential campaign, Trump made promises to eliminate the Department of Education and return that power to the states. Once in office, he executed an executive order to that end.
“I want every parent in America to be empowered to send their child to public, private, charter, or faith-based school of their choice,” he also said. “The time for universal school choice has come. As we return education to the states, I will use every power I have to give parents this right.”
After Trump signed the executive order requesting Education Secretary Linda McMahon to facilitate the shutdown of her department, a lawsuit was filed against the Trump administration with plaintiffss arguing that it’s “unlawful” and only Congress has the right to dismantle the department and the repercussion could “harm millions of students, school districts, and educators across the nation.”
In her dissent, Sotomayor reiterated the same claims:
“Lifting the District Court’s injunction will unleash untold harm, delaying or denying educational opportunities and leaving students to suffer from discrimination, sexual assault, and other civil rights violations without the federal resources Congress intended.”
Two lower courts sided against the Trump administration, indefinitely barring the executive order. Trump appealed to the Supreme Court.
Following the decision by the higher court, McMahon posted on social media that the Supreme Court’s decision “confirmed the obvious.”
“The President of the United States, as the head of the Executive Branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies. While today’s ruling is a significant win for students and families, it is a shame that the highest court in the land had to step in to allow President Trump to advance the reforms Americans elected him to deliver using the authorities granted to him by the U.S. Constitution.”
She added, “The U.S. Department of Education will now deliver on its mandate to restore excellence in American education. We will carry out the reduction in force to promote efficiency and accountability and to ensure resources are directed where they matter most — to students, parents, and teachers. As we return education to the states, this Administration will continue to perform all statutory duties while empowering families and teachers by reducing education bureaucracy."