A federal judge in Washington will consider a legal challenge on Tuesday against the Education Department, which is seeking to bar Elon Musk and his team from gaining access to its data systems.
The lawsuit, brought by two legal groups representing the University of California Student Association, sought to restrict Mr. Musk’s associates from combing through the Education Department’s data because of privacy concerns, given the personal identifying information that students routinely disclose when applying for federal aid.
Mr. Musk’s team, part of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, has been operating in the Education Department for more than a week. They were added to the agency’s staff directory and have been working from the top floor of its main building in Washington.
President Trump’s appointees have also briefed staff members at the Education Department that Mr. Musk’s team will scrutinize the agency’s budget and operations. They warned various offices in the Education Department to expect some upheaval in connection to the review, according to recordings obtained by The Times.
Mr. Musk’s cost-cutting team, which has taken the lead in shuttering other agencies such as U.S.A.I.D. and slashing government programs, said on Monday that the Education Department had “terminated” 89 contracts and 29 grants associated with diversity and equity training.
A spokesman for the Education Department did not elaborate on what programs or grants it ostensibly gave the order to suspend, referring reporters to a social media post from the account associated with Mr. Musk’s efforts.
The cuts announced on Monday appeared to mostly affect the Education Department’s research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences. The division produces and curates research on best practices in education and relies heavily on contractors to carry out its work.
Source: Elections - nytimes.com
