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.

The legal challenge comes in the wake of mass layoffs at the department, which, along with some voluntary departures, resulted earlier this month in roughly 2,000 workers suddenly leaving the Cabinet-level agency.

For decades, right-wing activists have called for eliminating the agency, which was created by Congress in 1979. As Trump remakes the federal government, he has assailed the department as wasteful and responsible for spreading “woke” ideas such as programs to support diversity, equity and inclusion and protections for transgender students.