Sheria Smith was living her dream—making a real impact as a civil rights attorney for the U.S. Department of Education—until she was suddenly laid off.
A Harvard graduate, former teacher, and dedicated lawyer, Smith chose public service over high-paying corporate jobs because she wanted to give back. That mission led her to the DOE in 2016, where she fought to ensure Black students had equal opportunities in the classroom.
“It was really important to me that students like me weren’t excluded from AP classes or magnet programs because of their skin color, or unfairly punished for minor infractions,” Smith told online news outlet theGrio.
But in January, that mission came to a halt when Smith—along with about 1,300 DOE employees—was abruptly let go.
“I got the notice on Tuesday evening after being told to leave the office and not return the next day,” she recalled.
The irony? Smith is the president of the union representing DOE employees, the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 252. Under union rules, she should have been informed of any restructuring and given the chance to negotiate.
Not only does she believe the layoffs were mishandled, but she’s also deeply concerned that they disproportionately impacted women and Black professionals.
“These terminations have had a clear disparate impact on Black employees, and there’s been no accountability or real explanation from the agency,” she said.
Smith pointed out that some employees had been placed on leave earlier in the year over accusations of conducting “undercover DEI work” that violated Trump-era anti-DEI orders. Yet, of the 77 professionals laid off, many weren’t even involved in DEI efforts—including IT workers, attorneys, and loan officers. Of those 77, 70 were women, and 30 were Black.
In the most recent round of layoffs, Black employees made up 38% of those affected.
“That’s an over-representation of people of color on a layoff list,” she noted.
So far, the DOE hasn’t responded to theGrio’s request for comment.
Smith and others fear that behind these “anti-DEI” efforts is a larger push to weaken racial justice initiatives, particularly for Black communities. And she’s not backing down.
“We are challenging these layoffs,” she said. “Litigation takes time, but we’re fighting for our people and holding them accountable.”
As someone who benefited from Pell Grants to pursue her education and career, Smith sees this as more than just a personal battle—it’s about protecting access to education for future generations. She’s urging parents, students, and advocates to resist efforts to dismantle the DOE, something both Project 2025 and former President Trump have promised to do.
For Smith, this fight is just beginning.
