United States President Donald Trump's administration is facing legal challenges from attorneys general over the cancellation of school grants.
The decision was made after officials said that the COVID-19 emergency had passed, arguing that school districts had enough time to spend the funding given to them. On the other hand, California officials argue that the effects of the health crisis, particularly learning disruptions, are still being felt.
Lawsuit Against Donald Trump Administration
California and several other states filed a lawsuit on Thursday to block the Trump administration's efforts to claw back hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. The money was originally intended to support the academic recovery of students who have had their education disrupted by the pandemic.
The funding previously included more than $200 million for California and was utilized by various schools for after-school and summer learning programs. The money was also used for student mental health services, new classroom technology, and other infrastructure needs, according to the Los Angeles Times.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said that when the president breaks the law, they will sue him. He added that Trump broke the law once again, which has now resulted in the harming of children.
Bonta said that his state's children have congressionally appropriated funding coming their way after the COVID-19 pandemic to assist with various challenges. He added that the funds originally had a rollout period of another year but argued that U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon cut them overnight.
The latest lawsuit stems from a Mar. 28, 2025, letter that McMahon sent to state education chiefs where she said that the government will no longer honor extensions of COVID-19 relief grants, Cal Matters reported.
Funding Cuts for Schools
While states are allowed to request new extensions for individual projects, the government, in general, would no longer send out COVID-relief grant funds. McMahon said that extending deadlines for COVID-related grants years after the health crisis is not consistent with the department's priorities.
The lawsuit says that the Trump administration's reversal "triggered chaos," as it affects unused money from several states. For New York, this amounts to more than $130 million; for California, this is over $205 million, and for Maryland, it is $245 million.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said that cutting school systems' access to vital resources that students and teachers rely on is simply "outrageous and illegal." The lawsuit also comes less than a month after Democratic attorneys general sued the government for laying off half of the staff of the Education Department, as per the New York Times.
