Attorney General Charity Clark joined a 24-state lawsuit against the Trump administration for allegedly “unlawfully freezing” $26 million in federal education funding for Vermont schools, and over $6 billion nationwide, according to a press release Monday.
The lawsuit, which includes Vermont as a plaintiff alongside 23 other states and Washington D.C., accuses the Trump administration of illegally halting funds for six federal education funding programs previously approved by Congress.
The six grants in question vary in scope and mission. They include supporting after school and summer programs, educating children of legal migrants, training teachers to work with working class students and students of color, school conditions and drug-prevention for low-income and inner-city schools, adult literacy and education and instruction for English language learners.
The lawsuit states that funding for the six programs must be made available to schools on July 1 so they are able “to staff, to supply materials for, and to prepare facilities for the imminent school year.” The lawsuit alleges the Trump administration sent a “boilerplate three-sentence e-mail,” on June 30 that halted funding, citing a review of this year’s awards to ensure the money spent on these programs is “In accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities.”
This marks the 22nd lawsuit Clark has filed against the Trump administration. Clark has been one of several attorney generals to file visible, cross-state lawsuits in order to preserve federal funding for their respective states.
“Once again, the President wishes to unconstitutionally undo appropriations made by Congress,” Clark said in the release. “The President does not have the power to freeze these funds – funds that Vermont schools are counting on.”
