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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts and two local school districts are part of a broader legal effort challenging President Trump's executive order to dismantle the Department of Education.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts and is the first legal challenge against the executive order since the president signed it last week.
AFT President Jessica Tang said while the executive order was not a surprise, it's still a huge concern because it will cause the most harm to students with the greatest needs.
"The order will impact many of our most vulnerable students and we had to speak up," she said. "This lawsuit is another way to fight back."
Tang called the executive order "illegal."
Prior to signing the order, the Trump administration had already started the process of cutting the DOE through massive layoffs.
Along with the AFT, plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the Somerville Public School Committee, the Easthampton School District, and the American Association of University Professors.
In a press release, Chair of the Somerville School Committee Ilana Krepchin said joining the lawsuit was the right thing for Somerville to do.
"The Department of Education is a cornerstone of equitable public education," Krepchin said. "Dismantling it would cause real harm, not only to our students and schools, but to communities across the country."
The president's effort to dismantle the DOE, led by his choice to run the agency, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, fulfills his longstanding campaign promise to shift more power over education to the states and parents.
President Trump said among the changes, the Small Business Administration will be taking over student loans, while the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services will handle special needs funding and nutritional programs.
Local school curriculums will not be affected by the executive order.
Federal law protects state and local control over public schools, from approving a school’s curriculum to setting graduation requirements.
WBZ NewsRadio's Brooke McCarthy (@BrookeWBZ) reports.