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15 States File School Mental Health Funding Lawsuit to Block Grant Cuts

Fifteen states on Friday sued the Trump administration to prevent millions of dollars in cuts to school-based mental health funding. The new lawsuit is part of an ongoing legal battle between Democratic-led states and the U.S. Department of Education over…

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2 months ago

July 12, 2026

Randy Breland, Managing Editor

15 States Challenge Cuts to School Mental Health Funding Amid Ongoing Legal Dispute — school mental health funding lawsuit

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Last updated: September 2, 2026

Key points

Fifteen states are suing the Trump administration over cuts to a school mental health funding program.
The funding, totaling $1 billion, was established after the 2018 Parkland shooting to support mental health services in schools.
The lawsuit aims to prevent the administration from unlawfully terminating these essential grants.

NewsWK — Fifteen states have initiated a lawsuit against the Trump administration aimed at blocking significant reductions to a school mental health funding program. This legal action is a continuation of an ongoing dispute between Democratic-led states and the U.S. Department of Education regarding a grant program established in response to the tragic 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

States Challenge School Mental Health Grant Cuts in Court

The program, which totals $1 billion, provides essential grants to school districts nationwide, enabling them to hire and train mental health professionals for K-12 schools. Attorneys general from these states argue that the administration is unlawfully attempting to terminate these grants despite a court ruling from December 2025 that ordered the continuation of the funding.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha stated, “Our children deal with a unique set of problems which arise from growing up in 2026…and the programs funded through these grants are designed to help them cope and hopefully thrive.”

Following the Uvalde, Texas school shooting in 2022, which resulted in the deaths of 19 students and two teachers, Congress allocated $1 billion to enhance mental health services in schools. This funding received bipartisan support, with Republican senators endorsing the initiative.

Controversy Over Department of Education Mental Health Grants

However, in April 2025, the U.S. Department of Education announced plans to halt these grants, citing conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities. Officials indicated that the cuts were linked to concerns about diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

In July of the previous year, a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general had already filed a lawsuit that resulted in a court ruling favoring the states, mandating that the Trump administration cease its efforts to discontinue the grants. Despite this, the department has since threatened to cut funding or terminate the grants entirely.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell remarked, “The courts have repeatedly ruled that the Trump Administration does not have the power to arbitrarily revoke grant funding that provides critical mental health services to our students.” She emphasized that the federal government continues to pursue funding cuts.

States involved in the lawsuit include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Based on reporting by Anna Claire Vollers originally published by Stateline. Read the original story.