New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with 15 other attorneys general, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. The lawsuit challenges the termination of over $1 billion in federal funding for school-based mental health services. This funding was initially allocated through two programs: the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program (MHSP) and the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program (SBMH). These programs were established by Congress to address youth mental health issues and prevent school shootings.
Attorney General James criticized the decision, stating, “By cutting funding for these lifesaving youth mental health programs, the Department of Education is abandoning our children when they need us most.” She emphasized that these grants have been crucial in providing mental health services to students facing depression, trauma, and anxiety.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. expressed support for Attorney General James’ efforts, noting that SUNY plays a vital role in training mental health providers. He stated that SUNY would “vigorously defend this important work.”
The MHSP program was created following the 2018 Parkland shooting to address shortages of mental health professionals in high-need schools. The SBMH program expanded these efforts two years later by providing additional funding to hire and train school-based mental health staff. After the 2022 Uvalde shooting, Congress increased funding for both programs significantly.
Republican Texas Senator John Cornyn highlighted bipartisan support for these initiatives, stating that Congress crafted them “to reduce violence and save lives” by improving how schools address mental health issues.
Despite reported successes such as reduced student wait times and lower suicide risks at high-need schools, on April 29, 2025, grantees were informed their funding would be discontinued due to misalignment with current administration priorities. The notices provided vague justifications without specific findings or performance issues.
Attorney General James argues that discontinuing this funding will negatively impact public schools nationwide by forcing layoffs of school-based mental health professionals and ending critical services for vulnerable students. New York could lose at least $19 million in approved funding if terminations proceed unchallenged.
The coalition contends that terminating this funding is unlawful under federal regulations governing grant awards since no evidence suggests grantees failed performance standards. They request court intervention to declare these terminations unlawful and reinstate full-term award funding while preventing similar ideological conditions from being imposed in future decisions.
Joining Attorney General James are attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington state as well as Wisconsin.
