A lawsuit has been filed against the US Department of Education by a federal workers' union over the use of partisan language in emails, including auto-reply messages sent by furloughed employees. The lawsuit challenges the inclusion of partisan political messages in these emails, which some reports suggest may have been used to blame a shutdown on democrats. The outcome of the lawsuit is uncertain, with some reports indicating a court has ruled against the department's use of such emails, while others suggest the issue is still pending resolution.