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A group of Massachusetts school districts and educator unions on Monday joined the legal fight against President Donald Trump's efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
Somerville and Easthampton schools partnered with the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, AFSCME Council 93 and other groups in a new lawsuit challenging Trump's executive order seeking to close the department and his administration's efforts to lay off many of its employees.
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Plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which they described as the first filed since Trump issued his executive order Thursday, argued that the federal Department of Education performs essential work authorized by Congress.
"From protecting students' rights to expanding college access and ensuring support for students with disabilities, the Department of Education is a cornerstone of equitable public education," Somerville School Committee Chair Ilana Krepchin said in a statement alongside the complaint. "Dismantling it would cause real harm -- not only to our students and schools, but to communities across the country. That's why we are joining this case. It is the right decision for Somerville, for Massachusetts, and for the future of public education nationwide."
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Trump has argued that he wants to return more education policy authority to state governments and criticized the U.S. Department of Education as inefficient.
