Pittsburgh agency that helps domestic violence survivors sues state organization over funding

A Pittsburgh-area agency that offers resources for survivors of domestic violence is suing a state organization over allegations it unfairly ended its funding.

"We've been forced to conclude that this is a form of retaliation," said McArdle Booker, an attorney for Crisis Center North. 

The organization has been receiving these funds for more than 40 years from the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a state nonprofit that distributes grant funds to service providers on behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.

The Crisis Center North has filed a federal lawsuit to try to keep the funds flowing.

"We're not happy to be in court, but we've gotten to the point where we don't really have an option," Booker said.

Booker said the coalition told the center in March it would not renew its annual contract, a loss of about $310,000 or about 20% of the center's budget.

"We've got this demand that reports be produced in a very specific format at a significant additional cost to provide the same information that's already being provided," Booker said.

The center claims for years the coalition developed unnecessary and inefficient procedures for sharing financial reports, reports which the center said it's always provided, just not in the requested format. Booker said doing so would also cost the center an additional $18,000.

"The experience that CCN has had with PCADV up to this point has been that this won't be the end," Booker said.

While the center is able to run for the time being without the funds, it could have to pause some services if it doesn't find new funding sources.

In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for PCADV told KDKA it "treated Crisis Center North fairly and in good faith according to its contractual obligations," and that "if a subgrantee does not adhere to those contractual obligations, [the coalition] may cancel their contract."

Meanwhile, the state Department of Human Services, which is also named in the complaint, told KDKA it "cannot comment on pending litigation."

As for the center, it believes this is just punishing the thousands of domestic violence survivors it serves every year.

"It's working with federal money, it's working with state money, and when you're distributing the people's money, you don't get to behave in that way," Booker said.