MADISON, Wis. — Attorney General Josh Kaul recently joined a multi-state lawsuit against the Trump Department of Education in response to the termination of grant funding for programs providing mental health services to students, which the Department claimed “conflicted with the Trump administration’s new priorities.” 

Thanks to the relentless work from attorney generals willing to stand up to the Trump administration like AG Kaul, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking the Department of Education before the beginning of the school year from cutting critical funding for mental health services that are essential to protecting the health and safety of Wisconsin students.

View the official DOJ press release here.

WAOW: Wisconsin joins lawsuit over school mental health funding

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Education from cutting school mental health grants that could have cost Wisconsin more than $12 million.

The order came after Wisconsin and 14 other states sued to stop the grant terminations, which would have ended funding for programs providing mental health services to public school students.

The cuts would have affected about $12.5 million in funding for the University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said the ruling keeps the funding in place while the legal fight continues.

The grants were created by Congress following school shootings to expand access to mental health professionals, especially in high-need schools.

The temporary restraining order remains in place through Aug. 24. A hearing on longer-term protections is expected.