Numerous Chicago employees let go in cuts to U.S. Dept. of Education Office of Civil Rights
Federal workers are being hit with more cuts — this time targeting the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education.
Several Chicago-based workers were let go in the cut to the office Thursday.
"No one can explain to us why they're doing what they're doing," said Sheria Smith, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252. "No one can provide a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason."
The Office of Civil Rights is not responsible for curriculum in any way. Rather, it is tasked with making sure students' liberties are upheld at school.
For instance, if a child with disabilities needs extra time on a test and is not getting it, has diabetes and is is being denied breaks to have a snack, or is being mistreated on the basis of gender, religion, or race, the Office of Civil Rights looks into the claims — mostly made by parents.
Now, the concern is those voices will no longer be heard.
"How is this going to impact the services of the services are resources in the resources that they need — particularly for students with special needs?" said Brittany Coleman, chief steward for the AFGE Local 252 and an attorney at the Department of Education.
In addition to heading up the American Federation of Government Employees, Smith also works for the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights — based in Texas.
The office has multiple hubs in the country. Chicago's outpost in the Kluczynski Federal Building is a hub for schools in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.
According to documents sent to the American Federation of Government Employees by the Department of Education, there are 55 members of the union who work for the Chicago office — 24 working in the Kluczynski Federal Building office in Chicago, 30 working in other states, and one working in Skokie.
Each and every one was let go.
Office of Civil Rights employees said this means students with open cases will have their claims backlogged even further.
"It's like if they don't receive these services, and their parents our complaints with our offices, what is it going to mean when you already had low staff anyway?" said Coleman. "You just cut that down by eliminating our office. What is that going to be for students who are still waiting on outcomes on their cases?"
This is all happening while Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined 20 other state attorneys general are suing the Trump administration for trying to dismantle the Department of Education.
The Department Education has not answered requests for comment.
