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Mich. (News 10) – Michigan is joining more than a dozen states in suing the U.S. Department of Education over cuts to school-based mental health grants, arguing the funding is critical to addressing students’ mental health needs
The lawsuit comes after the department moved to end millions of dollars in grant funding, including about $6 million for Michigan schools; the administration plans to terminate these grants at the end of July
Congress created the grant program to help schools hire approximately 14,000 mental health professionals nationwide in response to a series of devastating school shootings
According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, the department notified grant recipients in Michigan and the other states in April that their awards would be discontinued because they allegedly conflicted with the administration’s priorities. The department later said the grants were targeted because of their perceived support for diversity, equity and inclusion
Nessel joined the coalition in filing a lawsuit against the department in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in July 2025, challenging the termination of the grants. In December 2025, the coalition won a court order declaring the department’s grant cancellations were unlawful and requiring officials to reconsider the continuation awards. The court also issued a permanent injunction barring the department from ending the grants “through any means.”
Although the department extended the grants through Dec. 31, 2026, it provided only about seven months of funding, leaving schools uncertain how much money they will receive for the upcoming school year, according to the lawsuit
The attorneys general also allege the department has threatened to withhold funding for the remainder of the grant period and imposed administrative requirements that divert staff and re
“The federal government should always prioritize the well-being of our students,” Nessel said in a statement. “Instead, it insists on abandoning schools to combat the mental health crisis alone. The White House is treating <a href="https://healthylife7.com/raising-awareness-and-supporting-children-with-juvenile-arthritis/” title=”Raising awareness and supporting children with juvenile arthritis”>children’s lives as disposable by bypassing court orders and unlawfully terminating these grants, but we will do whatever it takes to protect our kids and secure the funds they were promised.”
The coalition argues the Education Department’s actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act and the U.S. Constitution. The states are asking a federal court to issue a preliminary injunction blocking the grants from being terminated while the case proceeds
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