Furloughed Education Department workers ‘shocked’ after automatic email replies changed to blame shutdown on Democrats

As employees at the Education Department prepared for a looming government shutdown this week, several set an automatic email reply to inform others of their furloughed status. 

But by Thursday morning, some furloughed workers discovered that their automatic email replies had been altered, without their knowledge, to include a message blaming Democratic senators for the ongoing government shutdown. 

According to two furloughed Education Department employees, the agency sent workers suggested language to use for their out-of-office messages earlier this week, but the language was “neutral” regarding the shutdown. 

One of the employees, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told FedScoop they and other furloughed staff mostly cut and paste from the suggested language with little to no changes when setting their automatic replies. But when they checked their automatic email replies Thursday morning, the message changed and included partisan language mentioning Democrats, the employee said. 

The other furloughed worker said they set the generic text for their OOO email Wednesday morning and the message was changed by Wednesday night. 

According to a screenshot obtained by FedScoop of the initial guidance email sent Tuesday, the suggested language read: “Thank you for your email. There is a temporary shutdown of the U.S. government due to a lapse in appropriations. I will respond to your message as soon as possible after the temporary shutdown ends. Please visit ED.gov for the latest information on the Department’s operation status.” 

On Thursday morning, both employees said their automatic replies read: “Thank you for contacting me. On September 19, 2025, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5371, a clean continuing resolution. Unfortunately, Democratic Senators are blocking passage of H.R. 5371 in the Senate, which has led to a lapse in appropriations. Due to the lapse in appropriations, I am currently in furlough status. I will respond to emails once the government functions resume.” 

Another agency staffer, who has been on administrative leave since March, told FedScoop their automatic reply was also switched, without their knowledge, to the partisan messaging. 

NBC News, which first reported the conflicting emails, heard similar stories from five Education Department workers on furlough. 

One worker told FedScoop that the unexpected change in email replies prolonged an already stressful time. 

“This administration feels like a huge weight every single day. You’d think in a shutdown that would ease and we’d wait to return to normal. That’s not the case. I never thought an OOO message would induce stress, anxiety or fear,” they told FedScoop. 

Reports of the email change sparked a flurry of concerns from federal workers about violating the Hatch Act — a federal law restricting most federal employees from engaging in partisan, political activities. 

“I’ve worked for four administrations and have had great direct leadership in all of them, never been made to feel like I was being asked to break a law,” the other employee said. “I take the Hatch Act seriously and think that it is one of several things that ensure a corps of career federal staff that conduct themselves with integrity.” 

“This makes me so sad that we are viewed as pawns to abuse for someone to make some kind of point,” they continued. 

It is not clear how many furloughed employees were impacted by the email changes. 

When FedScoop reached out to four employees of the Education Department’s communications team, two of the employees, along with the official press email, sent automatic replies with the Democrat-related messaging, while two appeared to use the initial suggested language. 

Madi Biedermann, the deputy assistant secretary of communications, did respond to FedScoop, stating: “The email reminds those who reach out to Department of Education employees that we cannot respond because Senate Democrats are refusing to vote for a clean CR and fund the government. Where’s the lie?”

It comes amid an ongoing battle between Democrats and Republicans over who is to blame for the shutdown, which began Wednesday at midnight after Congress failed to pass a funding package. 

As both sides dig in, the Trump administration has put out partisan messaging about the shutdown at numerous agencies. A banner on the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website reads, “The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government,” while the Justice Department has a banner stating “Democrats have shut down the government.” A complaint was filed with the Government Accountability Office over the HUD banner, arguing it is a violation of the Hatch Act.