On December 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter asking some Office for Civil Rights (OCR) employees, who have been put on administrative leave since March 21, 2025 to return to work by the end of December 2025 to prioritize the OCR’s current caseload of discrimination complaints. According to K-12 Dive, a USDE official confirmed that, beginning on December 15, 2025, the USDE is temporarily bringing back OCR staff from administrative leave. The official also stated that, “The Department (USDE) 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.”
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