A Government Accountability Office review found the U.S. Department of Education spent as much as $28 million to $38 million paying Office for Civil Rights staff who were put on administrative leave during the department’s 2025 reduction‑in‑force. The leave occurred amid legal challenges that ultimately blocked the layoffs and forced the department to restore many employees. GAO flagged extensive gaps in the department’s documentation of the costs and savings tied to the RIF and concluded Education cannot show the action achieved promised efficiency gains. The watchdog also documented that OCR dismissed a large share of complaints while staff were idled, raising questions about the agency’s capacity to enforce civil‑rights protections during the upheaval. GAO’s findings put additional pressure on congressional oversight as lawmakers assess OCR’s staffing and mission execution.