Dozens of employees at the Education Department were placed on paid administrative leave Friday as part of the Trump administration맥스카지노�s larger effort to rid the federal workforce of employees associated with diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility efforts, two sources familiar with the move told CNN.The department sent letters to employees informing them that their email accounts were being suspended but that they would continue to receive paychecks for an indefinite period, the sources said.The department cited guidance from the White House맥스카지노�s Office of Personnel and Management, issued on Jan. 21, that directed government agencies to notify 맥스카지노�all employees of DEIA offices that they are being placed on paid administrative leave effective immediately as the agency takes steps to close/end all DEIA initiatives, offices and programs.맥스카지노�The agency is the latest to face upheaval amid the White House맥스카지노�s efforts to weed out DEI programs within the government and reshape the federal workforce in President Donald Trump맥스카지노�s image.At least 55 Education Department employees, including senior-level career workers who have served at the agency for decades, were notified Friday night that they맥스카지노�d been placed on paid leave, according to the American Federation of Government Employees, the union representing the agency맥스카지노�s career officials.맥스카지노�Effective January 31, 2025, you will be placed on administrative leave with full pay and benefits pursuant to the President맥스카지노�s executive order on DEIA and further guidance from OPM,맥스카지노� the letter says, according to a copy obtained by CNN. 맥스카지노�This administrative leave is not being done for any disciplinary purpose.맥스카지노�According to the union, these employees do not hold job titles nor official duties related to DEIA, but they included staffers such as civil rights attorneys who handle student discrimination and antisemitism complaints; an employee working in a grant office; and a member of the artificial intelligence team helping the department understand AI in education.But Sheria Smith, union president for Department of Education career employees, told CNN the employees placed on paid leave had attended a two-day diversity training seminar in 2019 during the first Trump administration 맥스카지노�that was required for senior-level employees and strongly encouraged for others,맥스카지노� as well as similar training under the Biden administration. Others affected had either participated in a one-day lunch training on DEI or had volunteered with an agency group or committee that plans programs such as Black History Month celebrations.The diversity training for Education Department employees was encouraged during the first Trump administration under then-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, whose goal was for 400 employees to attend the sessions, according to the union.Because of the large participation in the 2019 training seminar, the union is worried that hundreds more Department of Education staffers could be affected.맥스카지노�We맥스카지노�ve filed several requests for information with the agency to get a clear understanding of what맥스카지노�s happening and how many employees overall will be impacted,맥스카지노� Smith told CNN, but the union has not received any additional information.CNN reached out to the Department of Education for comment but did not receive a response.The New York Times first reported on the letters sent to Education Department employees informing them that they were being put on paid administrative leave.The White House last month ordered government DEI employees to be placed on administrative leave and ended the use of DEI in hiring and federal contracting.맥스카지노�The mission of the agency is stalled because this administration has forced these people to stop performing work for the American people,맥스카지노� Smith told CNN.Agency leaders were also instructed to ask employees to report any efforts to 맥스카지노�disguise these programs맥스카지노� in federal jobs and contract descriptions since the November election.