A powerful coalition of 86 civil rights and education organizations issued an urgent appeal to senators, calling for the rejection of Linda McMahon's nomination as
Maya Wiley
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, joined by 85 prominent organizations including the NAACP, National Urban League, and Human Rights Campaign, warned that McMahon's confirmation would pose significant risks to educational equity and civil rights protections for students.
In a detailed five-page letter to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the groups highlighted McMahon's problematic testimony during her February 13 confirmation hearing, where she acknowledged, she would need to "learn on the job" about fundamental aspects of the role.
"McMahon's defense that she hopes to learn on the job what is required of a Secretary of Education would be a disqualifying answer in any environment," the letter read. "In this moment where the threats to education are so overwhelming, and so much damage has already been done in the first few weeks of this new administration, McMahon's response is even more alarming."
The organizations expressed particular concern about McMahon's apparent inability to address how she would handle directives from President Trump or Elon Musk that might violate federal education law. They also cited her failure to unequivocally support the teaching of Black history and her lack of clear understanding of key education laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Maya Wiley, President and CEO of The Leadership Conference, emphasized the critical nature of the appointment.
“The person responsible for leading the Department of Education must absolutely be committed to enforcing federal laws on behalf of every single student in this country — without regard to immigration status, disability, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, family income, home language, or religion,” she said.
