A broad alliance of educators, school districts, labor unions, and a leading disability-rights organization filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday challenging the Trump administration’s latest move to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. The coalition argues that the administration’s recent restructuring plan is unlawful and exceeds the authority granted to the department’s leadership.

The suit targets a sweeping set of policy changes announced last week by Education Secretary Linda McMahon. Through a series of interagency agreements, McMahon directed several core functions of the Department of Education to be transferred to other federal agencies, a decision that immediately ignited legal and political controversy.

According to the coalition’s complaint, federal appropriations law requires the Education Department—not other agencies—to administer the programs funded by Congress. The plaintiffs contend that McMahon does not have the legal authority to reassign these responsibilities and that the sudden shift undermines both stability and transparency within the nation’s education system.

In their filing, the coalition described the department’s recent actions as erratic and unprofessional, noting that the level of confusion surrounding the agency’s operations is unlike anything seen during prior administrative transitions.

Officials within the Department of Education maintain that McMahon’s actions fall within her authority under the Economy Act, which allows federal agencies to obtain services from one another. They argue that the transfers are intended to streamline operations rather than weaken educational oversight.

Under the changes announced last week, approximately $28 billion designated for elementary and secondary education programs and another $3 billion for higher education were moved to the Department of Labor. Additional programs were reassigned to the Departments of Health and Human Services, Interior, and State.

Education Department spokesperson Madi Biedermann criticized the lawsuit, saying the coalition was focused on preserving federal bureaucracy rather than empowering families and educators. She argued that the restructuring is designed to give parents, students, and teachers greater influence over educational decision-making and to improve the distribution of federal resources.

President Trump has long called for shutting down the Department of Education, asserting that states should have full authority over their schools. However, instead of pursuing legislative support in Congress—where even Republican lawmakers have shown limited enthusiasm for eliminating the department—his administration has concentrated on internal cuts and program relocations.

Critics, including members of Trump’s own party, say the new structure runs counter to state empowerment by scattering education responsibilities across multiple agencies. They warn that moving programs away from a single, centralized department could create new difficulties for students, families, and educators navigating federal systems.

Former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, who served under President George W. Bush, noted that the changes risk distracting policymakers from the urgent needs of students. She cautioned that dividing responsibilities among several agencies may complicate state-level implementation rather than simplify it.

The coalition’s arguments appear in an amended complaint filed as part of an ongoing case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The original lawsuit, initiated in March, sought to prevent the administration from effectively dismantling the Education Department—a step that would legally require an act of Congress.

Earlier in the case, Judge Myong J. Joun temporarily blocked the administration from laying off more than a thousand department employees. However, the Supreme Court overturned that decision in July, permitting the administration to move forward with cutting the agency’s workforce by half.

The initial plaintiffs included the Somerville Public School Committee, the Easthampton School District, the American Federation of Teachers, AFT Massachusetts, AFSCME Council 93, the American Association of University Professors, and the Service Employees International Union. The Arc of the United States, a national disability-rights organization, has since joined the coalition. All plaintiffs are represented by Democracy Forward, a legal nonprofit known for filing multiple challenges to Trump administration policies.

As the lawsuit continues, the future of the Education Department and the federal role in schooling remain at the center of an intensifying national debate—one with major implications for students, educators, and state governments across the country.