Statement by FFRF Co-Presidents Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor:
“The Freedom From Religion Foundation deplores President Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, a move that threatens the very foundation of our nation’s commitment to secular and equitable public education. Its destruction is a key provision of Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint to destroy U.S. democracy as we know it.
“That Trump lacks the authority to abolish an agency created by Congress, naturally, has not stopped him. This reveals his utter disdain not only for the separation of powers, but for equity in public education and for an informed citizenry. While states and local governments control public schools and provide 85 percent of the funding, the Department of Education has been instrumental in ensuring civil rights are upheld, as well as supplementing funding in the poorest districts.
“We are delighted that the earlier dismantling of the department, including layoffs of nearly half of its staff, is already being litigated by a number of state attorneys general. Trump’s actions, even though they will be fought and litigated, will nevertheless create unnecessary hardship in the nation’s poorest schools, as well as enormous stress and uncertainty for the tens of millions of Americans who depend on the $1.6 trillion in student loans overseen by the Department of Education.
“Once more, we see the Trump administration wielding a wrecking ball with no aim and no concern for what is harmed. We call on all freethinkers and Americans who care about public education to protest this unconstitutional action.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With nearly 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
