The president of a New Hampshire teachers union has filed a lawsuit in an effort to prevent public funding from going to private schools.

Deb Howes, president of the American Federation of Teachers-NH, filed the lawsuit on Thursday against Frank Edelblut, the state’s commissioner of education, on the grounds that his office has been funding the state’s voucher program for private schools with money from the Education Trust Fund and the state lottery, in violation of both the New Hampshire Constitution and state law.

New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Accounts program allows for state education money to be used at private, religious, or alternative public schools.

This conflict is being played out all over the country. Critics say that this program and other voucher programs like it divert much-needed public funds from traditional public schools to private institutions. Proponents of vouchers say that they give students and families more options to find their best fit school.

The lawsuit aims to block the program from using funds intended for public schools via an injunction.