Higher education administrators fear an unsure future, Minnesota educators sue ICE, and Trump’s effort to eliminate DEI pushes forward in court.
Higher Education
The Department of Education’s (DOE) attempt to terminate staff cost more than $38 million.
The nonpartisan “watchdog” entity, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), released a report suggesting that the Trump administration’s attempt to fire staff from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. GAO said the costs came from paying laid-off OCR employees’ salaries and benefits from March to December 2025. The layoffs triggered several federal lawsuits, and OCR dismissed approximately 90% of its complaints while its employees were on leave.
K-12
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) resolved no K-12 sexual harassment complaints in 2025.
OCR did not enter into any resolution agreements for sexual harassment or assault cases for K-12 institutions in 2025. This lack of agreements align with the overall decrease in resolutions last year, as OCR only resolved 177 cases compared to 518 in 2024. Critics argue that the Trump administration has narrowly focused on Title IX issues surrounding transgender students and athletes, while ignoring sexual harassment and assault.
DEI
Public school employees can now pray with students.
The Department of Education (DOE) released new guidance allowing public school teachers and employees to take part in visible prayer with students during the school day. The new guidance reverses a 2023 memo issued by the Biden administration discouraging prayer in schools. Trump’s current guidance states that “visible, personal prayer, even if there is voluntary student participation in such prayer, does not itself constitute coercion.”
How We Can Help
As education professionals stay informed of all federal updates and prepare for their impact, TIXC can help keep your schools compliant. For general up-to-date information and how it affects you and your institution, join us for TIXC Thursdays on the first Thursday of every month. For more information about our consulting services, including advising, hearing adjudication, and investigation, contact us at info@titleixconsult.com.