James Sues Trump Admin Over $1B Mental Health Funding Cut

NEW YORK – Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 15 attorneys general are taking the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to court, alleging the unlawful termination of over $1 billion in federal funding earmarked for school-based mental health services. The move, critics say, leaves vulnerable students in the lurch and dismantles crucial infrastructure built to address a worsening youth mental health crisis.

The lawsuit centers around the abrupt cancellation of two grant programs: the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program (MHSP) and the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program (SBMH). Created by Congress in response to tragedies like the school shootings in Parkland, Florida and Uvalde, Texas, these programs aimed to bolster mental health support in schools, particularly in low-income and rural communities. James and the coalition argue the ED’s decision is not only unconstitutional but 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. “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 MHSP program was established in 2018 following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, designed to combat a critical shortage of mental health professionals in high-need schools. Two years later, SBMH expanded these efforts, providing funds to hire, train, and retain school-based mental health staff. After the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde in 2022, Congress significantly increased funding for both programs, allocating over $100 million annually to each through 2026, with strict reporting requirements for the ED.

The programs were structured as five-year initiatives with a goal of placing 14,000 new mental health professionals in schools. The lawsuit highlights the broad, bipartisan support these programs garnered. Republican Texas Senator John Cornyn, a key architect of the legislation, noted the law’s “simple purpose: to reduce violence and save lives,” emphasizing the need to address mental health conditions before they escalate. The initial results showed promise, with nearly 775,000 students receiving services in the first year alone, over 1,200 professionals hired with a 95% retention rate, and student wait times slashed by 80%.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. voiced support for Attorney General James’s legal action. “At a time when school-based mental health services are more important than ever, SUNY is proud that our campuses play a vital role in training mental health providers and we will vigorously defend this important work,” he said. The attorneys general are seeking a court order to reinstate the funding and prevent the ED from making further cuts based on ideological grounds. The case is expected to ignite a fierce battle over the future of youth mental health funding in the nation’s schools.

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