New York Attorney General Letitia James, alongside 15 other state attorneys general, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education and Secretary Linda McMahon. The legal action challenges the termination of over $1 billion in federal funding for school-based mental health services. This funding cut affects two key programs: the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program (MHSP) and the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program (SBMH). These initiatives were established by Congress to address the growing youth mental health crisis and have received bipartisan support.
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 during a time of increased depression, trauma, and anxiety.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. expressed gratitude towards Attorney General James for her efforts in protecting resources for mental health support. He highlighted SUNY’s role in training mental health providers as essential at this time.
The MHSP was initiated following the Parkland school shooting in 2018 to tackle shortages of mental health professionals in high-need schools. The SBMH program expanded these efforts two years later by supporting schools in hiring and retaining mental health staff. Following another tragic event at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Congress increased funding significantly for both programs through 2026.
Republican Texas Senator John Cornyn remarked on the bipartisan nature of these programs, saying they were designed “to reduce violence and save lives” by addressing adolescent mental health issues that could lead to violence if untreated.
The lawsuit highlights that these programs have shown significant success: nearly 775,000 students received services within a year; over 1,200 professionals were hired with a retention rate of 95 percent; student wait times decreased by 80 percent; suicide risk reduced by half; absenteeism lowered; and stronger student-staff relationships developed.
Despite this progress, on April 29, 2025, grantees were informed their funding would end due to an alleged misalignment with “current administration priorities.” The notices provided vague reasons without specific findings or performance issues.
The discontinuation threatens public schools’ ability to offer essential mental health services nationwide starting this fall. It risks layoffs of hundreds of professionals and dismantles graduate training pipelines addressing national shortages.
New York alone stands to lose at least $19 million from previously approved funds. Institutions like SUNY Binghamton face potential staff layoffs affecting rural students’ access to care while SUNY Buffalo might end its fellowship program impacting thousands more students.
Attorney General James argues that ending this funding is unlawful and unconstitutional as it undermines congressional authority and violates administrative procedures due to lack of notice. The coalition contends that grant agreements were breached without evidence of poor performance but rather based on ideological criteria post-award.
The attorneys general seek court intervention declaring these terminations unlawful while reinstating full-term funding without imposing similar conditions in future awards.
Joining New York are attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island Washington Wisconsin seeking redress through this lawsuit.
