Judge Denies Students' Suit to Block DOGE Access

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss ruled that employees of the Department of Government Efficiency can continue to access student data at the Education Department, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

Ruling that there was no evidence to believe that DOGE's access to data would cause harm to the students, Moss refused to issue a temporary restraining order and said any concerns regarding identity theft were "entirely conjecture."

Court records viewed by the outlet note that Adam Ramada, a DOGE staffer, had told the court his team is only tasked with auditing contracts, grants and other such programs to determine waste, fraud, and abuse.

"Ramada attests that he and the other DOGE-affiliated employees had access to [the Education Department's] systems, to audit those programs for waste, fraud, and abuse … none of those initiatives should involve disclosure of any sensitive, personal information about any UCSA members," Moss wrote in his ruling Monday, referencing the University of California Student Association. "The future injuries that UCSA's members fear are, therefore, far from likely, let alone certain and great."

A coalition of students from the UCSA this month filed a lawsuit through advocacy group Public Citizen accusing DOGE of illegally sharing confidential student data. The lawsuit referenced the Privacy Act of 1974, which "requires that agencies give the public notice of their systems of records by publication in the Federal Register."

The student association's president, Aditi Hariharan, had argued that the Department of Education had violated student trust by allowing DOGE to access their information.

"When we gave the Department of Education our personal information, we believed they would only use it to help us achieve our dreams of going to college," Hariharan said last week. "Now that it's been reported that DOGE is accessing our information, it's important for us to speak up against this incredible betrayal of trust."

Responding to Moss' decision, Adam Pulver, an attorney for Public Citizen said, "While we are disappointed that the court declined to grant a temporary restraining order, our litigation continues, and nothing in this ruling suggests that DOGE's access to sensitive student data is legal."

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