Letitia James, New York Attorney General and longtime Donald Trump foe, joined 15 other attorneys general and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in suing the Trump administration for cutting off more than $1.1 billion in funding intended to help low-income students and address the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The case, filed in federal court in New York, seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to prevent the Department of Education (DOE) from terminating access grants approved by Congress under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
In their complaint, the plaintiffs state that the funding “provides essential support for a wide range of critical education programs and services needed to address, among other things, the impact of lost instructional time; students’ academic, social, and emotional needs; the safety of school environments; and the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on economically disadvantaged students, including homeless children and children in foster care.”
According to James, the funds in question will be used not only to repair and improve school buildings, but also to purchase additional library books and playground equipment, as well as to add wheelchair-accessible buses.
The attorneys general of Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and the District of Columbia have joined James and Shapiro’s lawsuit.
The plaintiffs’ coalition claims that on March 28, Education Secretary Linda McMahon “abruptly and arbitrarily reversed course” without warning, ordering funding to end at 5 p.m. that day. Initially, states were informed that funding would be available until March 2026. The stated reason for the funding rescindment was the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The complaint alleges that the DOE’s “drastic and abrupt change in position triggered chaos” for state and local education agencies. The complaint stated that programs must be immediately dissolved or disbanded, and employees must be dismissed.
“The result of [DOE’s] rescission is a massive, unexpected funding gap that is causing serious harm to the public, cutting off vital education services, all to the detriment of the students whom Congress intended to benefit,” according to the complaint.
The lawsuit claims that Congress did not tie the availability of funds to the COVID-19 crisis, but rather to “make up for lost instructional time in the aftermath of the pandemic.” Plaintiff states claim that the sudden and unexpected loss of funding will cause devastating harm to their school districts, forcing them to abruptly end programs and services, fire teachers and providers, and default on obligations to private businesses.
The filing included the chart below, which shows funding losses ranging from $914,868 in Minnesota to $245,876,498 in Maryland.
“The Trump administration’s latest attack on our schools will hurt our most vulnerable students and make it harder for them to thrive,” said James in a statement Thursday. “Cutting off school systems’ access to vital resources that our students and teachers rely on is outrageous and illegal.
As a proud graduate of New York public schools, I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to fight for our schools and ensure that every child has access to a good education.”
At the same time, Shapiro stated, “Congress and the federal government made a commitment to our students, and school districts across Pennsylvania started construction to make schools safer, delivered supplies to students, and invested to create more opportunity for our kids based on that commitment.”
“Now the Trump Administration is trying to renege on its commitments to our kids and leave Pennsylvania taxpayers holding the bag,” Dr. Shapiro said. “Every Pennsylvania student deserves the freedom to choose their own path and the chance to succeed. I’m taking action to protect that freedom and ensure that no Pennsylvania student is harmed by the federal government’s decision to break its promise.”
