Tim Mattson (Credit: public domain)
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel recommended severe sanctions for current and former Department of Education employees, “up to and including removal,” for their roles in a newly confirmed scheme to violate a court injunction against the Biden administration’s Title IX guidance, which interpreted “sex” to include “gender identity.”
Chief Counsel Charles Baldis told President Trump in a letter made public Wednesday that the department didn’t go far enough with its “corrective steps” in response to officials in the Biden administration, some of whom might have remained under President Trump, who threatened the federal funding of school districts that resisted the guidance’s novel view of “sex” after a court blocked the guidance nearly four years ago.
He called for “more robust action […] to ensure accountability and prevent recurrence,” including “expeditiously” completing its investigation and punishing employees, “including senior officials,” found to have “participated in, directed, assisted, or concealed efforts to defy the court’s injunction.”
The department should also consider “a monetary reward” for the whistleblower, Baldis said.
While his name is redacted in the letter, the whistleblower was previously identified as Kansas City Office for Civil Rights attorney Timothy Mattson. He’s represented by whistleblower advocacy group Empower Oversight, which told Just the News Wednesday it was surprised by the “stronger corrective actions” recommended by Baldis.
Catherine Lhamon (Credit: Wikipedia)
Mattson had accused national Office for Civil Rights Director Catherine Lhamon, who held the role in both Obama and Biden administrations, of “prohibited personnel practices” against him when he disclosed OCR’s violation of the injunction “to his chain of command.”
Baldis emphasized “the significance of the disclosure, his perseverance and the risks he took in coming forward, and the strength of ED’s substantiation.”
The department should also complete a “comprehensive, independent audit of all OCR enforcement actions taken in
enjoined states during the relevant period to identify and remedy any additional instances of non-compliance” and provide “full transparency” to OSC, Congress and the public on what it finds and what discipline and remedial action it takes, Baldis said.
The materials Baldis referenced are on OSC’s case page.
(Just the News, 6/10/2026) (Archive)
Department of Education whistleblower Timothy Mattson reflects on the decision that ultimately led him to come forward with his concerns. Rather than seeking public attention, Mattson explains that he felt a responsibility to act when he believed concerns needed to be addressed.
After documenting concerns regarding the @usedgov’s Office for Civil Rights and its handling of certain Title IX matters during the Biden Administration, Mattson raised those concerns through official channels. Empower Oversight later filed disclosures on his behalf with the @US_OSC which released its final report vindicating Mattson regarding all of his disclosures. Mattson’s experience highlights a reality shared by many whistleblowers: most do not set out to become whistleblowers. They simply reach a point where remaining silent is no longer an option.
Link to the full interview and the final OSC report below.
— Empower Oversight (@EMPOWR_us) June 12, 2026
— Empower Oversight (@EMPOWR_us) June 12, 2026
A whistleblower report alleges Biden-era Education Department officials ignored a federal injunction and retaliated against employees who raised concerns.