Coalition of attorneys general sues Department of Education over youth mental health funding

A coalition of 15 attorneys general, led by New York's Letitia James, has filed a lawsuit against the United States Department of Education and Secretary Linda McMahon to halt cuts to federal funding for school-based youth mental health services.

The legal action, initiated on July 10, challenges the department's latest effort to reduce grant programs designed to help educational institutions hire mental health professionals. The suit follows a successful December 2025 permanent injunction that blocked a previous attempt by the federal government to terminate the same initiatives.

This funding dispute unfolds alongside a broader, documented decline in youth mental health. Recent data, including a new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, indicates worsening mental health outcomes among young people globally, leading specialists to call for new intervention strategies and sustained institutional support.

The contested federal grants in the United States were initially established to address severe gaps in student support networks, operating in part as a response to the escalating youth mental health crisis and ongoing concerns regarding school violence. The funding directly facilitates the placement of counsellors and psychological specialists within primary and secondary schools.

In the current filing, the state attorneys general argue that the proposed cuts directly imperil critical support systems for students nationwide. The Department of Education has not issued a formal response to the legal challenge as the matter prepares to proceed to federal court.