As the Senate continues considering President Trump’s nominees for key cabinet positions, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) sent a letter to members of Congress voicing its opposition to the potential confirmation of Linda McMahon as U.S. Secretary of Education. The organization, which successfully litigated Brown v. Board of Education and continues to fight for Black students to receive high-quality, equitable education, strongly opposes her candidacy, citing concerns over her troubling record and various actions that raise serious questions about her qualifications and commitment to the responsibilities of the position.
LDF President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson issued the following statement:
“As the leader of the foremost agency of education policy and programs in our nation, the U.S. Secretary of Education is entrusted with one of the most sacred responsibilities within our democracy: to guarantee that every student, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or LGBTQIA+ status, is afforded the opportunity to succeed. Through her troubling words, actions, and otherwise limited experience, Linda McMahon is wholly unsuited for this position.
“Ms. McMahon’s leadership of the U.S. Department of Education could endanger the safety and well-being of over fifty million students who depend on the agency to receive access to quality education. In close step with the administration’s Project 2025 playbook, Ms. McMahon has made clear her support to dismantle the Education Department despite the vital role it plays in advancing policies and practices that eliminate racial disparities and safeguarding key civil rights protections for Black and other students of color, LGBTQIA+ students, low-income students, and students with disabilities in all schools that receive federal funding. Instead, Ms. McMahon supports reduced federal oversight that leaves it up to states to enact and enforce policies that could undermine civil rights protections and harm critical federal programs upon which so many of our Black communities need.
“Ms. McMahon’s lack of experience and understanding of public education is further evidenced by her extreme views. Time and time again, Ms. McMahon has advocated for school privatization, which siphon funds from public schools, and the elimination of truthful, racially inclusive teaching in classrooms. While Ms. McMahon has no firsthand experience as an educator or administrator, she is a co-founder of the far-right conservative thinktank American First Policy Institute (AFPI), an organization that has supported regressive, harmful, and potentially discriminatory policies in education—including calling for an end to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and funneling money into school voucher programs—and has drafted hundreds of troubling executive orders meant to upend the very fabric of our democracy. This is especially concerning in light of our understanding of recent cuts to essential federal education employees and programs, which severely obstruct the Department’s ability to fulfill its mission of enforcing our nation’s education and civil rights laws and providing all students with equal educational opportunities.
“If the Senate confirms Ms. McMahon as Education Secretary, she will undoubtedly undermine the key tenets of America’s public education system and roll back progress that is critical for the livelihoods of millions of students. Simply put, our students deserve better. America deserves better. In the best interests of our country, we urge the Senate to unequivocally reject her nomination.”
Read the letter sent to members of Congress here.
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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation’s first civil rights law organization. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.
