--- title: Betsy DeVos Loses Student Loan Lawsuit Brought by 19 States description: Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos lost a lawsuit brought by 19 states, accusing her of delaying implementation of Obama-era regulations. canonical: https://time.com/5394679/betsy-devos-loses-student-loan-lawsuit/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-09-13T00:16:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T21:25:22.450Z article:section: Politics og:title: Betsy DeVos Loses Student Loan Lawsuit Brought by 19 States og:description: The department deprived plaintiffs "of several concrete benefits" og:url: https://time.com/5394679/betsy-devos-loses-student-loan-lawsuit/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt501084c00f881d48/69893a1c7cdbac725ad5deba/gettyimages-1017756858.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5073 og:image:height: 2854 og:image:alt: President Trump Hosts A Cabinet Meeting og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Betsy DeVos Loses Student Loan Lawsuit Brought by 19 States twitter:description: The department deprived plaintiffs "of several concrete benefits" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt501084c00f881d48/69893a1c7cdbac725ad5deba/gettyimages-1017756858.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # After Delaying Obama-Era Protections, Betsy DeVos Loses Student Loan Lawsuit Brought by 19 States > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Andrew Harris and Daniel Flatley / Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Andrew Harris and Daniel Flatley / Bloomberg Contributor Sep 13, 2018 12:16 AM UTC  Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on August 16, 2018 in Washington, DC. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on August 16, 2018 in Washington, DC. Pool—Getty Images by [Andrew Harris and Daniel Flatley / Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Andrew Harris and Daniel Flatley / Bloomberg Contributor Sep 13, 2018 12:16 AM UTC U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos lost a lawsuit brought by 19 states and the District of Columbia, accusing her department of wrongly delaying implementation of Obama-era regulations meant to protect students who took out loans to attend college from predatory practices. A Washington federal court judge on Wednesday ruled the department’s postponement of the so-called Borrower Defense rule was procedurally improper. The Obama administration created the rule in the wake of revelations that some for-profit colleges enticed students with promises of an education and diplomas that would allow them to get jobs in their chosen fields. In reality, many of those certifications weren’t recognized by prospective employers, leaving graduates saddled with student loans they couldn’t repay. The department deprived plaintiffs “of several concrete benefits that they would have otherwise accrued,” U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss wrote in a 57-page opinion. “The relief they seek in this action — immediate implementation of the Borrower Defense regulations — would restore those benefits.” Writing that he didn’t want to delay matters further, Moss said he will hold a hearing Friday to consider remedies. 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