The Education Department ordered dozens of civil‑rights investigators who had been put on administrative leave back to work to help clear a mounting backlog of discrimination complaints. Department officials cited a need to prioritize the Office for Civil Rights’ existing caseload, which has grown to more than 25,000 alleged violations since January, according to AP reporting. The return follows litigious challenges to the department’s reduction‑in‑force and an appeals court decision that previously cleared some cuts. Julie Hartman, a department spokesperson, said the agency will continue to pursue layoffs in litigation but will “utilize all employees currently being compensated by American taxpayers.” For colleges and universities, the move means OCR enforcement activity may accelerate even as the department shrinks: Title IX, disability, race and religious‑discrimination investigations could see faster movement, raising compliance, reporting and legal risks for campus administrators.