D.C. — Kaiva Tech removed job postings for Department of Education Office for Civil Rights attorneys from its website. The postings sought to fill positions that would support the office through contracted services.
One job listing from Kaiva Tech sought an early-career attorney for the Department's Denver regional office with an advertised salary range of $225,000 to $260,000 per year. Public records indicate this contractor salary range is more than double the pay for similarly experienced attorneys hired directly by the Education Department. The position involved providing direct support to the Office for Civil Rights by reviewing, analyzing, and processing civil rights complaints.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated the agency is increasing Office for Civil Rights staffing to address a backlog of cases. McMahon said, "We have totally revamped our OCR now." A Department of Education spokesperson stated the agency was in an exploratory phase regarding a potential contract with Kaiva Tech. "We are not in a formal contract with Kaiva Tech; we are in the exploratory phase. Salaries for contractors are not comparable to federal salaries, and we have no authority over what they pay their employees," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson added, "The goal here is not to backfill positions. Case resolution remains a top priority and the management decisions we are making today, including hiring new staff, reflect that."
Former Office for Civil Rights regional director Beth Gellman-Beer commented on the costs associated with outside contractors. "This is yet another frustrating indicator that firing half of OCR staff was not a wise move. But what angers me most is the additional, unnecessary expense to the taxpayers. I can only imagine how much this contractor is getting from the federal government to pay for these attorneys, on the taxpayer dime," Gellman-Beer said. Gellman-Beer also said, "The administration, and in particular the Department of Government Efficiency, stated that their purpose in doing everything was to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse, and yet the end result here is double the waste, fraud and abuse. It just confirmed, yet again, that all of the chaos, torture and trauma served no one. Clearly our jobs were important, because they reinstated everyone, and now they're even trying to hire."
The Education Department issued a reduction in force affecting hundreds of Office for Civil Rights staff members in March 2025. The Department voluntarily rescinded the layoffs in December. A federal district court initially ordered the rehiring of laid-off staff, though an appeals court later overruled the decision. Fifty-two of the 299 staff members affected by the reduction in force opted to leave the agency, while 247 staff members placed on administrative leave were instructed to return to work. The Department spent approximately $38 million on salaries and benefits for staff on administrative leave between March and December 2025, according to a February Government Accountability Office report. At least two other contracts have been signed to support attorney services adjudication work for the Education Department since the reduction in force.
An April Senate report indicates that 112 of nearly 12,000 civil rights complaints on file were resolved in 2025. None of these resolved cases involved sexual harassment or sexual assault allegations. The Education Department prioritized cases involving transgender student facility and athletic access, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, during its case review.