Multnomah County sues Trump administration over sex ed funding

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Officials in Oregon’s most populous county have filed a lawsuit against the administration of President Donald Trump, saying they aim to protect funding for sex education programs.

The lawsuit, filed Friday by Multnomah County in U.S. District Court, seeks to broadly block new guidelines from being used to distribute federal sex education funds, alleging they promote abstinence-based programs in violation of federal and state laws requiring funding go to programs proven to work.

If successful, the lawsuit could result in an injunction blocking the new guidelines nationwide, stopping them from being applied to any county or group asking for money from the program’s main funding source.

The Department of Health and Human Services distributes the funds and is the main target of the lawsuit. A statement on the agency’s website said the new guidelines would help fund more programs.