The U.S. Department of Education has abruptly revoked a $3.38 million grant earmarked for a program at Sacred Heart University that trains teachers in fields, such as special education and STEM, SHU confirmed to News 12 Friday.

The move comes amid one of the worst teacher shortages in U.S. history, said State Sen. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox.

"This is not about politics. This is not about President Trump. This is about educating our children. This is about right and wrong," Gadkar-Wilcox said.

The termination notice says, 'The Acting Secretary of Education has determined that, per the Department’s obligations to the constitutional and statutory law of the United States, this priority includes ensuring that the Department’s grants do not support programs or organizations that promote or take part in diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) initiatives or any other initiatives that unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or another protected characteristic."

Gadkar-Wilcox said the move comes "at the worst possible time."

“The Special Education Committee just completed a listening tour across the state and the resounding consensus was that we have a critical teacher shortage. This federal grant was providing funding to create a pipeline for teachers in high need areas, like Bridgeport. This will impact students, teachers, parents, and local municipalities who are already struggling to find teachers. Moreover, the freezing of federal funds that have already been allocated by Congress is grossly unconstitutional, in violation of the Impoundment Control Act, and creates chaos and uncertainty among institutions and organizations relying on these funds, as well as the communities they serve.”

In a statement, SHU said, "We are disappointed that this grant, which supported the future of Connecticut education, has been pulled. We are working with our state and national representatives to determine if there is any action we can take to reverse this decision."