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Attorney General James Sues Trump Administration for Trying to Slash Youth Mental Health Funding Again
After AG James Won Court Order Protecting School-Based Mental Health Grants, Trump Administration Attempts to Cut the Same Funding
Bipartisan Grant Programs Were Established After Parkland and Uvalde to Help Schools Hire Mental Health Professionals in Low-Income and Rural Communities
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition of 14 other attorneys general in suing the U.S. Department of Education and Secretary Linda McMahon for again attempting to unlawfully cut federal funding for school-based mental health services. The lawsuit challenges the administration’s latest effort to terminate grant programs that help schools hire mental health professionals, which were created by a bipartisan majority in Congress in response to the worsening youth mental health crisis and a series of tragic school shootings, including in Parkland, Florida and Uvalde, Texas.
In December 2025, Attorney General James and the coalition secured a permanent injunction blocking the administration’s attempt to unlawfully end these grants. Now, the Education Department is attempting to evade that court order by implementing the very same policy to eliminate these grants using a different method. Attorney General James and the coalition are asking the court to preliminarily and permanently stop the administration from cutting off this critical funding and protect the youth mental health infrastructure schools have built under these programs.
In December 2025, Attorney General James and the coalition secured a permanent injunction blocking the administration’s attempt to unlawfully end these grants. Now, the Education Department is attempting to evade that court order by implementing the very same policy to eliminate these grants using a different method. Attorney General James and the coalition are asking the court to preliminarily and permanently stop the administration from cutting off this critical funding and protect the youth mental health infrastructure schools have built under these programs.
“The first time this administration tried to take mental health services away from children, we beat them in court,” said Attorney General James. “Now they are trying to carry out the same illegal scheme and abandon students who need support. We already stopped them once, and we are prepared to do it again. My office will keep fighting to protect our children’s mental health and ensure schools have the resources to hire counselors, social workers, and psychologists in communities that need them most.”
