Attorney General James Wins Court Order Protecting Youth Mental Health Services

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after a federal judge largely granted her motion for a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from unlawfully discontinuing federal funding for school-based mental health programs:

“Every student deserves access to mental health care, no matter who they are or where they live. This order is a victory for our young people, and for every educator working to keep our schools safe and supportive. There is no reason to strip funding from critical programs that help students learn, heal, and thrive. I am relieved to see this funding restored. I will continue fighting to ensure our children’s health and well-being are protected.”

Attorney General James and 15 other attorneys general sued the U.S. Department of Education in July to stop the administration from abruptly ending two bipartisan grant programs that fund mental health professionals in schools. These programs were created by Congress in the wake of a series of tragic school shootings, including in Parkland, Florida and Uvalde, Texas. The funding was meant to address the youth mental health crisis and expand access to counselors, social workers, and psychologists in schools across the country.

Today, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington granted the coalition’s motion for a preliminary injunction, blocking the administration from enforcing its decisions for many institutions in the plaintiff states while the case proceeds. The court’s decision ensures that New York's state universities and the school districts they work with can continue using more than $7.6 million in funding for New York’s school-based mental health programs.