More than 1,300 federal employees impacted by the March 11 reduction of the Department of Education in FORCE received their official separation notices on Thursday, according to copies reviewed by ABC News.
“It is very regretful that you should inform you that your position is being abolished and that it has been reached to reduce the action (RIF),” the notices are read, partly.
The Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, attends the signing of an executive order to close the education department of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on March 20, 2025.
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The RIF was one of the first main steps to massively reduce the Department of Education after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that ordered the Secretary of Education of Linda McMahon to close the agency on March 20.
Both Trump and McMahon have suggested that they will continue to reduce the size of the agency and return educational power and decisions to the United States.
The president has said that Rif’d employees were not being presented to work or that they were not good in their jobs. But the notices explained that the separation is not based on performance evaluations, it is due to the “reduction in the number of positions” in the agency. The notices also said that employees have the right to appeal this reduction.
In addition, dismissing people without going through the protections of civil service is “illegal”, according to NaACP’s head of policy and legislative issues, Patrice Willoughby.
“What they are doing is illegal,” Willooughby told ABC News. “They know that it is illegal. Create damage to people. They are damaging not only what they say is the deep state: really dedicated federal workers who work professionally on behalf of educational families and young people, but are also damaging these families and these children in these communities, many of them who voted for this administration and the constituents of these senators and representatives, who say nothing.”
The letter sent on Thursday is a required notice of 60 days that alert federal employees of their last days, according to a source familiar with the matter. Until those 60 days have finished, the affected employees are on a paid administrative license. On June 10, they will no longer be employed.
“Eda appreciates the service he has provided,” the notice said, adding: “We deeply regret that this decision affects it and recognizes the difficulty of the moment.”
Last month, the department announced that approximately half of its more than 4,000 employees were eliminated through their reduction, voluntary separations or retirements. More dozen to the trial employees were fired, and then they hired again after a court order revoked the administration’s terminations.
The director of Human Capital, Jacqueline Clay, sent the official email, with the subject of the separation notification due to the reduction of the force, between the 3 and the 4 PM ET together with the associated documents, including information on the benefits of employees and the payment of compensation.
The notices were sent in accordance with an executive order entitled Optimization Initiative of the workforce of the “Government Efficiency Department” of the President, according to the copies reviewed by ABC News.
During the past month, the impacted officials have cleaned their offices, if they worked in person, and are no longer allowed in the buildings of the Department of Education. They have no job responsibilities, and do not have access to emails or systems and servers.
The civil officials who shared the notices with ABC News said the letters make the reduction feel “more real.”
“It’s sad for us, but also for students who will undoubtedly be harmed by this,” said an employee who received the notice to ABC News.
Another employee of the department whose full office was eliminated said they feel numb.
“We knew it came but it was still incredible,” they said, and added, “there are no explanations of why the offices were abolished. My office was ordered and required by Congress. There are no answers.”
