WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is taking steps to eliminate $1 billion in school mental health grants, citing their alignment with the preferences of the prior administration.
Recipients of the grants were informed on Tuesday that the funding will be discontinued after this fiscal year. The grant programs, aimed at assisting schools in hiring additional psychologists, counselors, and other mental health professionals, received $1 billion as part of a gun violence bill signed into law by Democratic President Joe Biden in 2022.
According to a recent announcement, a review conducted by the Education Department on these programs revealed that they contravened civil rights legislation, were in conflict with the department’s policy of emphasizing merit and fairness, and were deemed an improper use of federal funds.
The cuts were made public in a social media post from conservative strategist Christopher Rufo, who claimed the money was used to advance “left-wing racialism and discrimination.” He posted excerpts from several grant documents setting goals to hire certain numbers of nonwhite counselors or pursue other diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
“No more slush fund for activists under the guise of mental health,” Rufo wrote.
The Education Department confirmed the cuts. In an update to members of Congress that was obtained by The Associated Press, department officials said the Republican administration will find other ways to support mental health.
“The Department plans to re-envision and re-compete its mental health program funds to more effectively support students’ behavioral health needs,” according to the notice.
President Donald Trump’s administration has cut billions of dollars in federal grants deemed to be related to DEI and has threatened to cut billions more from schools and colleges over diversity practices. The administration says any policy that treats people differently because of their race amounts to discrimination, and it argues that DEI has often been used to discriminate against white and Asian American students.
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