James Sues Trump Admin Over $1B Mental Health Cut

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 15 other attorneys general are taking the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to court. The charge? Unlawfully gutting over $1 billion in federal funding earmarked for school-based mental health services. The move, critics say, abandons vulnerable kids at a moment of escalating crisis.

The lawsuit, filed July 1, 2025, challenges ED’s abrupt cancellation of two crucial grant programs: the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program (MHSP) and the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program (SBMH). These programs weren’t some liberal wish list; they were born from bipartisan concern following tragedies like the school shootings in Parkland, Florida and Uvalde, Texas. James and the coalition argue the terminations aren’t just bad policy, they’re unconstitutional and driven by ideological motives.

“By cutting funding for these lifesaving youth mental health programs, the Department of Education is abandoning our children when they need us most,” Attorney General James stated bluntly. “These grants have helped thousands of students access critical mental health services at a time when young people are facing record levels of depression, trauma, and anxiety. To eliminate these grants now would be a grave disservice to children and families in New York and nationwide, and my office is fighting back to preserve these much-needed programs.”

The backstory is simple. After the 2018 Parkland shooting, Congress established MHSP to tackle the critical shortage of mental health professionals in high-need schools. Two years later, SBMH expanded those efforts, providing funds to hire, train, and retain school-based mental health staff. The 2022 Uvalde shooting prompted even greater investment, with Congress appropriating over $100 million annually to each program through 2026, demanding detailed spending plans and regular updates. The aim was ambitious: place 14,000 new mental health professionals in schools, focusing on low-income and rural communities.

The lawsuit points to the broad, bipartisan support the programs enjoyed. Even Republican Texas Senator John Cornyn acknowledged the intent was clear: “to reduce violence and save lives.” He emphasized the law included “commonsense measures to improve how our schools address mental health,” noting that “too often, adolescents with untreated mental health conditions become the very same perpetrators who commit acts of violence.” The Attorney Generals aren’t just alleging wrongdoing; they’re highlighting a betrayal of promises made in the wake of national tragedy.

The impact so far has been measurable. In just the first year, nearly 775,000 students received mental or behavioral health services. Over 1,200 school-based mental health professionals were hired, with a retention rate of 95 percent. Student wait times for appointments plummeted by 80 percent. These aren’t just numbers; they represent kids getting the help they desperately need. Now, Attorney General James and her colleagues are demanding the court reinstate the funding and halt any further ideologically driven cuts that jeopardize the well-being of America’s youth.

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