A U.S. District Judge in Greenbelt, Maryland, has issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Department of Education and the Office of Personnel Management from disclosing sensitive personal information to Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) without consent. The judge ruled that the agencies likely violated the Privacy Act by sharing personal data such as bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and addresses with DOGE affiliates.
The order was granted in response to a lawsuit filed by unions and groups representing federal employees, including the American Federation of Teachers and the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. The judge emphasized that the disclosure of personal information to DOGE affiliates could result in irreparable harm to the plaintiffs.
DOGE, led by billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk, has been tasked with overhauling and downsizing the federal government. Recent actions by Musk, including demanding federal employees to justify their accomplishments or face termination, have sparked legal challenges.
In a separate development, the Department of Education announced the cancellation of the Long-Term Trend Assessment, a national test measuring the reading and math abilities of 17-year-olds. The test, administered every four years, has been discontinued due to budget constraints, affecting the collection of data on student progress.
While the cuts impact the Long-Term Trend Assessment, the main National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessments for fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders remain unaffected. The NAEP assessments, known as 'the nation’s report card,' provide valuable insights into student outcomes.
Department spokesperson Madison Biedermann stated that the agency remains committed to supporting NAEP and ensuring transparency in measuring student achievements. The reasons behind the decision to cancel the Long-Term Trend Assessment were not disclosed.
