More than a dozen state attorneys general sue U.S. Department of Education over school mental health grant termination

More than a dozen state attorneys general filed a lawsuit Friday against the U.S. Department of Education over what they describe as the unlawful termination of congressionally approved school mental health grants, according to The Hill. The complaint was filed “protectively,” the states said, to preserve their legal challenge alongside a separate, earlier lawsuit already pending in court.

The states’ central claim is that the Department of Education’s action would end funding that Congress had approved for public school mental health services. The lawsuit contends the federal agency’s move goes beyond what states say is permitted under the law that authorized the grants, and that ending the money would interfere with the implementation of the congressionally approved program for students.

According to The Hill, the group is made up of attorneys general from more than 12 states, and their filing comes after they have previously sued to contest the government’s handling of the grant program. The new case, they say, is intended to prevent the Department from arguing procedural or other grounds that could narrow or complicate their earlier suit.

The matter is tied to federal education funding that supports mental health services for students in public schools. While the suit focuses on the Department’s authority to terminate or stop the grants, it also raises questions about timing and continuity of services for districts that rely on grant-funded staffing and programs.

The complaint also frames the dispute as a federal separation-of-powers and statutory compliance issue, arguing that an agency cannot unilaterally halt a program Congress funded when the action allegedly conflicts with the underlying congressional authorization. The states are seeking court relief that would keep the grants in place rather than allow the federal funding to be cut off.

The Department of Education has not, in the material provided for this article, been quoted responding to the lawsuit’s claims. The lawsuit’s immediate practical effect will depend on whether the court issues any interim order while the case proceeds.

If the states’ request for relief is granted, districts and schools that participate in the grant program would be able to continue receiving mental health funding while litigation continues over whether the Department’s termination action was lawful. If relief is denied or limited, the grants could be curtailed as the underlying dispute moves through the courts.