The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence — along with 21 other nonprofits — won a federal lawsuit against the Trump Administration, which tried to make federal funding conditional with requirements restricting gender ideology and diversity, equity and inclusion.
The groups argued the conditions, imposed by the U.S. departments of Health and Human Services and Housing and Urban Development, could have forced them to change their programs or risk losing federal funding.
The federal judge’s decision called the new federal conditions “arbitrary and capricious,” and said the Trump administration couldn’t properly defend the action beyond stating the new guidance aligned with executive orders.
Headquartered in Harrisburg, PCADV has a network of 59 local domestic violence programs and provides free support to nearly 90,000 survivors annually statewide. It was the only Pennsylvania-based nonprofit involved in the lawsuit.
The organization relies on about $500,000 from HHS and about $24 million from HUD, according to CEO Susan Higginbotham.
If the coalition had lost, they would have had to choose between federal funding or offering culturally specific programming and working with transgender individuals, she said.
“If those conditions were enforced, we’d even have to decide, are we giving up the money, or are we going to approach the work in the way the administration wants to dictate?” Higginbotham said. “And that would be an impossible choice.”
The coalition of 22 nonprofits nationwide sued with pro bono help from Democracy Forward.
“We just believe that all people fleeing violent homes deserve dignity, health, and safety without barriers to access,” she said. “PCADV is going to continue to stand up for and protect the ability for domestic violence programs to serve all survivors without political influence according to the statutes that define our work.”
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