WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The US Department of Education has asked hundreds of employees it dismissed earlier this year to temporarily return to work as it struggles with a backlog of school discrimination cases.

An email dated December 5 shows the agency directing a large group of Office for Civil Rights staff to report back later this month, USA Today reported.

The "return to duty" notice acknowledged a growing caseload of civil rights complaints and stressed the need to use every available government resource to address them.

The request covers about 250 workers who have been on administrative leave for months while their March dismissals face legal challenges.

Julie Hartman, the department's press secretary for legal affairs, said the...