Colorado Attorney General Joins Lawsuit Challenging Education Cuts

This story by Delilah Brumer appeared on Colorado Newsline on July 14, 2025.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser joined a lawsuit Monday calling for the release of $6.8 billion in K-12 education funds that the Trump administration withheld two weeks ago.

The lawsuit, brought by 23 state attorneys general, challenges the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to pause certain grants for after-school programs, teacher training, migrant education and English-language learning, among other initiatives. States learned the funds would be withheld with just one day of notice, leaving districts scrambling to pay for programs as the start of the upcoming school year nears.

In Colorado, $80 million of funding is in limbo. This money was already approved by Congress. Weiser, a Democrat, said during a virtual news conference on Monday he is “appalled and in disbelief” in response to the decision.

“There’s no explanation, there’s no effort to appear to follow the law, there’s simply arbitrary, unfair and harmful government action, as if this administration is daring us to fight for what we believe in and fight for what is right,” Weiser said. “Me and my colleagues will do that.”

This lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, is one of about two dozen lawsuits that Colorado has joined challenging the actions of the second Trump administration.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, joined Weiser in the lawsuit. The state attorneys general said they hope to secure a preliminary injunction in the lawsuit in a matter of days.

“President Donald Trump and Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon have dealt a debilitating blow to our schools, throwing them into chaos just weeks ahead of the first week of school for many districts,” Bonta said.

The Department of Education said the funding is under review and did not provide a timeline for its possible restoration, in a June 30 notice to states.

“The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities,” the Education Department wrote to states.

From Denver to Lake County, Colorado school districts are weighing program cuts and staff layoffs due to the funding uncertainty.

“My message to parents, teachers and students, is that I have your back,” Weiser said. “What is happening here is wrong morally, wrong policy-wise and wrong legally. We are confident we will get this funding restored as soon as possible.”