Furloughed Veteran Terminated During Shutdown
Doug Jackson is a disabled Marine veteran of the Iraq War and an IRS employee based in Orlando. He’s one of the 47,000 Central Florida workers impacted by the government shutdown that started October 1. He is on furlough without pay. In previous shutdowns, furloughed federal workers were guaranteed back pay once the government reopened. This time, Jackson doesn’t know if that will happen. The Office of Management and Budget published guidance stating that backpay is not guaranteed.
When Jackson opened his personal email Friday, he saw the Reduction in Force or RIF letter from the Department of Treasury saying his position is being eliminated effective December 9. He says about a dozen of his team members who are spread across the country received a similar notice. For Jackson, this is his second time being terminated from this job this year. He was fired at the beginning of the year by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency during cuts to reduce the size of the federal workforce. Jackson says he was rehired several weeks later. Now he’s looking for a job again and uncertain about his future. Engage spoke to Jackson on Tuesday, the day before a judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing federal workers during this shutdown.
Layoffs Hit Special Education
Thousands of federal employees are getting Reduction in Force termination notices. The Education Department is set to lose hundreds. Staff at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services are among them as well as the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights. Those offices investigate discrimination complaints, oversee special education funding, and implement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
IDEA is a federal law that guarantees those children have access to Free Appropriate Public Education. Public schools and others that receive federal funds are required to provide Individualized Education Programs, or IEPs, and 504 Plans. An IEP is customized for a student with special needs and is part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The 504 Plans accommodate students with disabilities and come from a civil rights law called the Rehabilitation Act. The offices that oversee the programs are being hit by the mass firings at the center of ongoing legal challenges.
In Central Florida, Rebecca Samaan has experience navigating these plans and programs. She’s an occupational therapist in Orlando and the mother of three. Her 18-year-old daughter is a high school senior and has Down Syndrome. Samaan also serves on the board of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida. Her youngest is 16, a junior in public school, and he is on the autism spectrum with learning disabilities. Samaan has used both IEPs and 504 Plans to support her children. She joins Engage to discuss concerns about job cuts at the federal level impacting families like hers.
As the Director at IEP Coaching and Advocacy located in Orlando, Debbie Gelinas works with families every day who are navigating special needs programs and laws she describes as a complex maze. She helps them develop plans to get Free Appropriate Public Education for their children. Gelinas joins Engage and reminds parents worried about federal layoffs that their students still have legal protected rights.
Passion Over Playbook for Special Olympics Coach
Special Olympics Florida has year-round training and competition. They’re recruiting the next generation of coaches. Wilma Wright has been a Special Olympics coach for more than a decade. She started a unified volleyball team while working as a physical education coach at a Winter Garden middle school. She admits that she didn’t really know what she was doing at first, but with support and training, it worked out. She led the team to gold at the 2022 USA Special Olympics Games in Orlando. Jacob Craft is an athlete from Orlando who competes in ten different sports. The connection between Jacob and Wilma is more than Special Olympics Florida athlete and coach. It’s an unwavering bond built on respect, trust, and hope. They join Engage for a conversation that might inspire new coaches to get involved.
No Cats Just Meows
In the interest of full disclosure, the Engage staff are cat lovers. Producer Richard Copeland has a calico named Moneypenny. Director of Audio Content Brad Waldo has a cat named Betsey. Host Cheryn Stone has a pair of fur babies named Maggy and Mopar.
An Instagram post two weeks ago teased a meowing contest being held on UCF’s campus on October 14, and Copeland was hooked. The purpose was not to test the vocal talents of felines. This was a competition for humans. At the conclusion of the event, organizer “UCF Kitty” revealed himself to be Liam Ryan, a former UCF student who graduated this past spring. Ironically, Liam is not a cat owner and is allergic. He did all of this to grow an Instagram following, and it worked. Producer Richard Copeland and Central Florida Public Media intern Orion Boone went to campus for the UCF Kitty’s Meowing Contest.
