Parents of Disabled Children Fear Education Dept. Reforms May Backfire
WHO:
CNN - Nicole May, an Ohio mother, filed a complaint with the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights.
CNN - Linda McMahon, the education secretary, is involved in the changes to the Education Department.
CNN - Emily Harvey, co-legal director at Disability Justice, has cases pending with the Education Department and the Department of Justice.
AP News - Craig Haller, a Boston-area special education advocate, filed a complaint with the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights.
AP News - Robyn Linscott, director of education and family policy at The Arc of the United States, attended a listening session hosted by the Education Department.
AP News - Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia are working together on legislative action regarding special education oversight.
WHAT:
CNN - The Education Department is offloading civil rights enforcement to the Department of Justice and special education oversight to the Department of Health and Human Services.
CNN - The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services has shrunk by roughly a third since 2024.
CNN - The Office for Civil Rights is roughly 40% smaller under Trump’s administration.
AP News - The Education Opportunities Section in the Department of Justice has shrunk by half.
AP News - A new Colorado law, signed into law in May, expands the types of civil rights cases that state education officials can pursue.
WHERE:
CNN - Ohio, where Nicole May resides and filed her complaint.
CNN - Colorado, where Emily Harvey and Rob Harris are based and where the new state law was enacted.
AP News - Massachusetts, where Craig Haller is based and has been using the state system for resolving special education matters.
WHEN:
CNN - Nicole May filed her complaint in spring 2024.
AP News - The Colorado legislation was signed into law in May.
AP News - Cassidy mentioned he has less than six months left in his Senate term after losing a primary election this spring.
WHY:
CNN - The changes are part of Trump’s campaign promise to dismantle the Education Department.
CNN - Advocates argue that special education should not be overseen by a health department, which treats disabilities as conditions to manage.
HOW:
CNN - The Education Department’s civil rights office had been the last resort for parents facing discrimination at school.
AP News - The Education Department stated that the latest agreements will help the Office for Civil Rights run “more effectively and efficiently.”
(UPDATED June 18, 2026 16:13 UTC)
Nicole May, an Ohio mother, has filed a complaint with the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, as the department shifts its civil rights enforcement to the Department of Justice and special education oversight to the Department of Health and Human Services. Advocates, including Massachusetts special education advocate Craig Haller and Emily Harvey from Disability Justice, are concerned about these changes, arguing that special education should not be overseen by a health department, which treats disabilities as conditions to manage. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy and Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine are collaborating on legislative action regarding special education oversight, as Cassidy approaches the end of his Senate term in less than six months.