The attorneys general of several states—New York, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Vermont—and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its weakening of the federal nutrition standards for school meals. The complaint, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that in 2018 the US Department of Agriculture weakened the federal nutritional standards for sodium and whole grains without first providing the public an opportunity to comment on them, in violation of Administrative Procedure Act.
The lawsuit claims that the changes were not based on tested nutritional research, the latest Dietary Guidelines, or the 2009 Nutrition Board Study, as required by statute. As such, the changes were also “arbitrary and capricious.” The state attorneys general ask the court to “hold unlawful and set aside” the new rule that would affect about 30 million school children.
Additional Reading
Attorneys General Sue Trump Administration Over School Nutrition Rollbacks, NPR, April 4, 2019
State of New York et al v. United States Department of Agriculture et al., No. 2019-cv-02956 (filed Apr. 3, 2019)
