(WASHINGTON)— PEN America condemned the gutting of the Department of Education staff and its abrupt closure today. This step, taken together with other actions by the Trump Administration to censor curricula, ban books and limit gender and DEI programs, undercuts America’s commitment to education, critical inquiry and free speech, the free expression organization said.
Hadar Harris, managing director of PEN America’s Washington, D.C. office, said:
“The Department of Education’s decision to shutter its offices temporarily and abruptly lay off nearly 1,300 workers is a continuation of this administration’s efforts to exert control over curricula and content while targeting students’ right to learn. Under a thinly veiled guise of ‘returning education back to the states’ and ‘ending indoctrination,’ the first weeks of this administration have focused on defining and dictating what is and is not acceptable material for the classroom, including targeting DEI programs, and removing books and content related to the lived experience of people of color or the LGBTQ+ community.
Those steps, along with the gutting of the Department of Education, send the clear message that the United States is not interested in free, inclusive public education that is available to all. While the Trump administration is attempting to dismantle the Department of Education from within, only Congress can close it. PEN America calls on members of Congress to intervene on behalf of students, parents and educators to protect education for all.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057