Dallas, TX
Laid-off Dallas employees of the Department of Education leave office for the last time
Civil rights attorney Melissa Malonson emptied her desk at the downtown Dallas office of the U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday morning, stuffing her life’s work into cardboard boxes.
Malonson, who worked for the department for 25 years, packed planners, textbooks and certificates. In one box, a crayon drawing from her daughter was tucked next to a framed certificate marking ten years of service with the Education Department from 2009.
She walked out of the office at 1201 Elm St. for the last time with about two dozen supporters — mostly other federal employees — cheering for her.
Malonson, 51, burst into tears. Her aunt hugged her and said, “We got you. We got you.”
Malonson was one of more than 4,000 federal employees laid off in March when the Education Department eliminated six of its regional offices, including Dallas.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to abolish the department shortly after. That order is being challenged in court.
“Students and parents are the ones that are going to suffer,” Malonson said. “The bulk of what we do is help disabled kids.”
The department’s Office of Civil Rights enforces federal laws that protect students against discrimination. It responds to complaints based on race, disability, age and national origin discrimination, among others.
Texas has more than a thousand cases under review at OCR. More than half are related to students with disabilities whose families reported concerns about improper restraint, harassment, denial of benefits, challenges to accessing free and appropriate education, and more.
As a lawyer for the department, Malonson helped make schools more accessible for children with disabilities by investigating claims and working with school system leaders to implement changes.
That included adapting playgrounds and ensuring school personnel carried insulin when going on field trips with students who have diabetes, she said.
The now former employees of the Dallas office are unsure who will tackle its most fundamental work, including handling civil rights complaints for students with disabilities and managing student financial aid.
Trump said at the order signing that much of the department’s work would go to states or other federal agencies. The move is part of his effort to downsize and streamline the federal government. For example, the administration previously announced hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts to contracts with the Department of Education.
Before closing, those working for the Office for Civil Rights in the Dallas office investigated cases across Texas and in other southern states.
People have emailed Malonson in recent weeks, asking about the status of their civil rights complaints, she said. Malonson doesn’t know where those cases will go now.
Department of Education officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment over email.
Former staffers worry that civil rights investigations, which often take months or years to complete, will stall under the cuts. Families were frustrated with the delays even before Trump’s administration eliminated several regional offices.
Cynthia Thornton spent 17 years at the office working on getting financial aid into the hands of students so they could attend college.
When she walked into the building to turn in her laptop and a company credit card Tuesday, she wondered who would make sure “students get the money they deserve.”
“I just hope the administration will continue to advocate for the students and not let predatory and proprietary lenders and schools take advantage of students,” Thornton said. “It’s in the administration’s hands.”
Malonson thought about how being an attorney for the department was her first job after graduating from law school at the University of Texas at Austin in 1999.
Born and raised in Carrollton, she worked her way up from general attorney to supervisor attorney.
On Tuesday, she pulled out a photograph with a mentor who guided her during her first years from her boxes of belongings. It brought her to tears.
“This was my career,” she said. “This was my dream job, and I was really good at it, too.”
The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Judy and Jim Gibbs, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Ron and Phyllis Steinhart, Solutions Journalism, Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks, and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.
The Dallas Cowboys were initially in the mix for Las Vegas Raiders superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby ahead of NFL free agency, and were believed to be one of the finalists in trade talks. However, he was ultimately traded to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks.
Now, the NFL world has been turned on its head with the Ravens deciding to pull out of the trade agreement with Las Vegas.
On Tuesday night, NFL insider Adam Schefter was among the experts discussing what went wrong between the Raiders and Ravens, revealing that Cowboys team physician Dr. Daniel Cooper, one of the premier knee specialists, played a role in the Ravens’ evaluation of Crosby.
Schefter discussed how Dr. Cooper was among the doctors who reviewed scans on Crosby’s knee, which ultimately spooked the Ravens and triggered the end of the deal.
“The Baltimore Ravens essentially failed him on their physical, and my understanding is there were multiple doctors that reviewed his MRI scans,” Schefter said. “There were doctors that examined him, including Dr. Daniel Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys doctor that performed surgery on Patrick Mahomes and Malik Nabers.
“Many teams and players rely on Dr. Cooper’s expertise, and Dr. Cooper was one of the doctors who reviewed the images where the Ravens then felt compelled to back out of this trade.”
It’s hard not to connect the dots that Dr. Cooper’s involvement in the medical review of Crosby led to the team deciding against re-engaging in trade discussions. Though that could change, currently, the Cowboys are expected to move forward with Pro Bowl EDGE Rashan Gary, who the team agreed to acquire from the Green Bay Packers for a 2027 fourth-round pick on the first day of legal tampering.
It will be interesting to continue monitoring the situation and its fallout, which has left the Raiders in a terrible position.
But, with the Raiders now forced to re-examine the money they committed to free agents on Wednesday evening, they may have to pull out of one of their own agreements, which could open the door for the Cowboys to reopen their pursuit of a linebacker like Nakobe Dean or Quay Walker.
The 2026 NFL calendar year officially begins on Wednesday, March 11, at 4:00 p.m. ET, so get your popcorn ready, because it’s going to be a wild ride.
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Dallas Cowboys Nation’s hopes of landing superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby were dashed last weekend when it was announced that he was being traded to the Baltimore Ravens. However, less than 24 hours before the new year, the trade has fallen apart.
On Tuesday night, the Las Vegas Raiders announced that the Ravens have backed out of the trade.
“The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby,” the statement read. “We will have no further comment at this time.”
The news sends a major ripple for the league, with the Crosby sweepstakes once again open. Before his trade to the Ravens, the Cowboys were considered one of the teams closely monitoring the situation and a team that made a legitimate offer for Crosby.
At this time, there is no word on why the trade between Las Vegas and Baltimore fell through. When the trade was first reported, the Raiders were set to receive a 2026 and 2027 first-round pick from the Ravens.
Now, his future is in limbo. Before he was traded to the Ravens, it was believed that the Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and Los Angeles Rams were the top candidates to land him. In fact, the Cowboys were “considered runner-ups” in the sweepstakes.
Dallas’ Original Trade Offer
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys initially offered the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 draft, a 2027 second-round pick, and an unnamed veteran player.
“Dallas kept a hard line throughout. The franchise wasn’t willing to part with two first-round picks, hoping its 12th pick in April’s draft, plus a future second-rounder, would be enough to entice Las Vegas. Dallas was also willing to package a veteran player to sweeten the deal, but Vegas wasn’t interested in that. The Raiders prioritized picks,” Fowler wrote.
Last season, Crosby recorded 73 total tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, 20 quarterback hits, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception.
We’ll have to see if Dallas ends up being his new home, now that the team has a second chance to make something special happen, but there will be some serious competition. The 2026 NFL calendar year officially begins on Wednesday, March 11, at 4:00 p.m. ET.
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DALLAS – Severe thunderstorms are forecast to return to North Texas late Tuesday, bringing threats of damaging hail, high winds and localized flooding. While the primary concerns are wind and hail, a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out.
Tuesday Forecast
Dallas weather: Mar. 10 morning forecast
We have another chance of severe storms starting Tuesday afternoon. Meteorologist Ali Turiano has your forecast and everything you need to know ahead of the storms.
Scattered showers and storms are expected to develop as a dryline to the west moves into the region. Storm conditions are expected to intensify as the day progresses.
The greatest concerns remain damaging winds and large hail. The leading edge of the storm front will likely be the most intense, with the potential for straight-line winds and brief spin-up tornadoes.
LIVE Radar: Dallas-Fort Worth
Dallas Storms: Timing and Impact
The highest potential for severe weather in the Metroplex is from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., though lingering activity could continue until 2 a.m. Wednesday. Residents are advised to seek shelter immediately if a warning is issued for their area.
7-Day Forecast
A final round of storms is expected Wednesday, primarily between noon and 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. These storms carry a threat of half-dollar-sized hail and damaging winds.
Behind this system, North Texas will dry out and briefly cool off. Sunny skies return Thursday with a high in the mid-60s. Temperatures will then warm into the upper 70s on Friday before a sunny weekend with highs in the low 80s.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the National Weather Service and FOX 4 forecasters.
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