Judge Tells Ed. Dept. to Remove Language Blaming Democrats From Staff Emails

Judge Orders Education Department to Remove Partisan Language from Staff Emails

A judge in Washington ruled that the U.S. Department of Education violated employees' freedom of speech rights by adding partisan language blaming “Democrat Senators” for the federal government shutdown to their out-of-office emails.

Legal Decision Details

“Nonpartisanship is the bedrock of the federal civil service; it ensures that career government employees serve the public, not the politicians. But by commandeering its employees’ e-mail accounts to broadcast partisan messages, the department chisels away at that foundation,” wrote U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in his 36-page opinion.
“Political officials are free to blame whomever they wish for the shutdown, but they cannot use rank-and-file civil servants as their unwilling spokespeople. The First Amendment stands in their way.”

Context and Implications

Judge Cooper described the Trump administration's actions as a “multifront campaign to assign blame for the government shutdown.” The union representing furloughed Education Department staff filed the lawsuit in early October over this partisan messaging.

Cooper, appointed by President Barack Obama, ordered the department to remove all partisan language from out-of-office emails and permanently banned the agency from modifying away messages for furloughed employees or those on administrative leave.

Response

Spokespeople for the Education Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Author's summary: A judge ruled that the Education Department must stop using partisan blame in staff email messages, protecting civil servants' rights and upholding government nonpartisanship.

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Education Week Education Week — 2025-11-07

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