this post was submitted on 12 Oct 2025
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The agency cut nearly everyone who works to administer federal funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, one staffer said.

The U.S. Department of Education fired nearly everyone in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in a wave of new layoffs that began Friday, according to the union representing the agency's employees.

Without an official estimate from the agency, it wasn't immediately clear how many people in the division were fired. Yet based on reports from staff and their managers, most employees below the leadership level were part of the workforce reduction, said Rachel Gittleman, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252.

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[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 1 points 41 minutes ago

They cured autism everyone, who needs special ed now!

[–] skisnow@lemmy.ca 16 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Oh look, another parallel to Nazi Germany. I’ll just put it over here with the others…

[–] Mog_fanatic@lemmy.world 1 points 55 minutes ago

This is nothing like nazi Germany. For one, there's a whole ocean between Germany and the United States. For two, that was, like, a million years ago. So... Yeah.

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

Project 3025 Aktion T4 plan initiated https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aktion_T4

[–] peopleproblems@lemmy.world 11 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

I'm worried these means of carving up the government are going to get the Democrats to capitulate. They will blame Democrats for everything that gets carved anyway, that was always the plan.

The regime needed to be starved of funds earlier this year. Second best time is now. If the supreme court allows the executive to allocate tarrifs as they want, then the branch still gets some means of funding - probably military and ICE.

There is a flaw with their plan. Yes, we will all suffer greatly, but ever increasing tarrifs on imported goods will result in a decrease on imported goods regardless if they are made in America or not. This means that while they might have a good source of funds secured temporarily, the revenue generated is still bound by math. n * ( price of good * tarrif - price of good) = total revenue. As n approaches 0, revenue approaches 0, regardless if tarrifs grow infinitely.

At some point, even the wealthiest Americans won't be able to afford the imported good. If nothing is imported, no money is generated, and the executive has nothing to allocate.

They're definitely aware of this. Hence why they are doing everything they can do to guarantee a 2026 midterm gives them complete control of the house and Senate. They need regular funds back before they can no longer pay ICE and military. That's coming here very soon.

They were going to do it anyway. Shut down or not.

They planned for either option and we the people are losing our. Either passing the CR or shutting down the government.

[–] gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world 31 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Cool, Dems should now refuse to reopen the government until ACA subsidies are extended and all these people are hired back. Flinging shit around the room does not mean you have leverage in a negotiation, it just means you should get stuck with the cleaning bill when it's all over.

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 8 points 1 hour ago

All sane Americans should refuse to open society until this stops

[–] frunch@lemmy.world 72 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (3 children)

I love how these assholes are firing people at unprecedented rates as a way of somehow punishing Democrats. The Ds refusal to let the current admin double everyone's medical insurance costs means Rs start dismantling the government as punishment? That's what the Rs want in the first place. They're doing exactly what they want while blaming the Democrats for all the negative effects, as is tradition

[–] watson387@sopuli.xyz 42 points 5 hours ago

This was always the plan. They're just using the shutdown as an excuse.

[–] TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 20 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

They're doing exactly what they want while blaming the Democrats for all the negative effects, as is tradition

They're doing it because it works, alarmingly well. Sure, many Americans recognize that it's all just a dishonest tactic, but not enough of us. Many Americans fall for the con, hook, line and sinker.

[–] MrSpArkle@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

It has nothing to do with the shutdown.

[–] frunch@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

From the article:

In a Friday court filing, the Justice Department said more than 460 Education Department employees had been laid off, cutting roughly a fifth of the agency's already-hamstrung workforce.

The terminations, which have hit more than half a dozen federal agencies, are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to pressure congressional Democrats to end the ongoing government shutdown. Nearly 90% of the Education Department is furloughed, too.

Perhaps i misinterpreted what it's saying and it's just regular, garden-variety destruction of government by the fascists?

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

That's just USA Today uncritically repeating the disingenuous messaging of the fascists.

They may SAY that they're doing it to force shutdown negotiations, but it's just an excuse. In reality they've wanted to eliminate the Education Department since at the very latest 2012, and they just figured that pretending that it's the Dems fault would spare them the blame when it ruins the lives of millions.

The worst part is that their cult is so thoroughly brainwashed that they're almost certainly right 😮‍💨

[–] jacksilver@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago

Yeah, theyve already repeatedly tried to zero out (no funding for) and or close the education department.

I've said it before, but they already played their hand and admitted they want/will decimate the federal government one way or another, so it's not a negotiation tactic.

[–] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 35 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Just because the government is shut down does not mean Trump can do more illegal layoffs.

This makes no sense, they’re just making up rules at this point

[–] gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world 20 points 5 hours ago

They're being taken to court over it already, but since they pushed this out on a Friday we get a weekend of bullshit headlines about it

[–] Zephorah@discuss.online 7 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

This punishes parents with special needs kids. Medical babysitting while they’re at work, instead of special ed programs at a public school will break many.

[–] village604@adultswim.fan 11 points 4 hours ago

The Republicans want those kids to die, so this is a win for them.

[–] gdog05@lemmy.world 10 points 4 hours ago

They've all got Nazi eugenics aspirations. Harming special needs people makes them happy but harming their parents, to them, is fixing the glitch. Once again, the cruelty is the point.

[–] moshankey@lemmy.world 39 points 7 hours ago

I am so sad. That’s all I can think of right now. So happy to be retired from teaching. So scared for our kids.

[–] rocci@lemmy.dbzer0.com 27 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Isn't the government shut down? How can they do anything?!

[–] curbstickle@anarchist.nexus 15 points 4 hours ago

Some things are still required to operate during a shutdown.

That said, these are illegal layoffs and are already being challenged in court. Unfortunately that also means it will take time, and the supreme court is a complete fucking farce at this point.

[–] DandomRude@lemmy.world 15 points 6 hours ago

What a disgrace!

[–] barnaclebutt@lemmy.world 6 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Weird. She clearly prospered from the special Ed program. Look how high of an office she achieved thinking that a guy named Al (or Alan) was going to help educate kids.

[–] boydster@sh.itjust.works 9 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

A1. She thought steak sauce was smart.

[–] barnaclebutt@lemmy.world 3 points 4 hours ago

She's clearly special.