Following President Donald Trump's executive order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the federal government, dozens of employees at the U.S. Education Department have been placed on paid administrative leave. The move was confirmed by the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, which represents hundreds of workers in the agency.
It remains unclear how many employees were put on leave or the specific reasons for their placement, according to the union president, Sheria Smith. The affected employees come from various branches of the agency, ranging from offices that allocate funds to K-12 schools to units responsible for enforcing civil rights laws.
