States' lawsuit over Trump cuts to teacher grants survives

Source: Courthouse News Service

November 13, 2025


(CN) — A federal judge on Thursday rejected the Trump administration’s bid to broadly dismiss a lawsuit challenging its $600 million cuts to federal grants allocated for recruiting and training teachers. In a 36-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley, a Joe Biden appointee in Boston’s federal court, found that a coalition of states can continue to pursue claims that the cuts are unconstitutional and in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act in her court.

But the states cannot try to claw back those funds in her court, the judge ruled, dismissing the remedies portion of the lawsuit for the Court of Federal Claims. “When it is all said and done, grants to fund certain education programs were terminated,” Kelley said. “Today’s holding indicates this court lacks any power to bring these grants back.”

Still, it’s a win for the states. The Department of Education was seeking to dismiss the case outright, arguing that the eight suing states — New York, New Jersey, California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland and Wisconsin — are seeking breach-of-contract remedies more suitable for the federal claims court.

Kelley indicated Thursday that she agrees in part. She noted that she lacks jurisdiction to order that grant funding be restored, but she does have power to find whether the funding cuts were arbitrary and capricious pursuant to federal law.

Read more: https://courthousenews.com/states-lawsuit-over-trump-cuts-to-teacher-grants-survives/