The U.S. Department of Education will not renew $1 billion in school mental health grants funded by a bipartisan gun violence law signed under President Biden, citing concerns over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the program. The grants were designed to help schools hire mental health professionals but were found to include race-conscious recruitment targets for counselors, according to department officials.
“These grants were hijacked for race-based actions like recruiting quotas,” said Madi Biedermann, deputy assistant secretary for communications. “We owe it to families to ensure tax dollars support evidence-based practices.”
Conservative activist Christopher Rufo first reported the move, posting excerpts of grant documents on X and calling the program a “slush fund for activists.” The department told Congress it will “re-envision” its mental health support programs.
This decision follows broader Education Department actions to limit DEI-related programs, including cutting research funding and enforcing recent Supreme Court rulings that blocked teacher training grants tied to DEI efforts.
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