Neronha joins lawsuit against Trump admin over school funds

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE)– Attorney General Peter Neronha said that he was among 19 attorneys general filing a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to withhold funding from schools that have diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Neronha’s office said that the Trump administration was threatening to withhold $116 million in funding for schools statewide.

The suit claims that the Trump administration’s interpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was “legally incoherent” and that certifying compliance with the administration’s requirements would still leave states liable for failing to comply because of the order’s vagueness.

Neronha said that withholding any funding would have serious consequences and constituted an “attack” on Rhode Island students.

“The most vulnerable children in our state rely on this federal financial support for access to the services they need to learn,” Neronha said. “Kids with special needs who require IEPs, kids who need to learn English as a second language, kids in foster homes, and more depend on these programs. By conditioning this funding in an illegal and thoughtless way, the Administration will cause irreversible harm to children in our state.”