The lights are off this week at a once-busy outreach space on West Franklin Street that served survivors of trafficking and domestic violence. The HER Resiliency Center says it has halted operations there, pausing programs and laying off staff after state officials refused to reimburse services that were paid out of federal Victims of Crime Act grants. That funding dispute has now turned into a lawsuit targeting Gov. Wes Moore, the State of Maryland, and the governor's crime prevention office.
What the Suit Alleges
According to the complaint, the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy declined to reimburse certain VOCA-funded expenses and tightened its interpretation of who qualifies as an eligible victim, leaving HER to absorb the costs. Plaintiffs say roughly $218,000 in reimbursements tied to fiscal 2025 and about $74,000 linked to 2024 were denied, and that invoices were rejected over narrow differences in job titles or service descriptions, as reported by CBS Baltimore.
How Services Were Affected
HER's attorneys argue that losing those reimbursements made “continued operations impossible” and forced the group to suspend its outreach work and cut staff. The lawsuit also claims that the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy reduced HER's salary reimbursement rate and then retroactively reclassified many of the center's clients as ineligible for VOCA support, which the nonprofit says left it underpaid for fiscal 2025. Those allegations, including claims of retaliation, are detailed in coverage by The Daily Record.
State Response and VOCA Rules
The state grant office says it is bound by federal VOCA rules, which require that funded services be directly tied to a victim's immediate needs and that the agency act as a fiduciary steward of public grant dollars. The Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy lists HER as a VOCA award recipient in its fiscal 2025 funding tables. Federal VOCA regulations set out a definition of “victim of crime” and spell out what kinds of direct services may be funded, guidance that state officials say they follow when reviewing reimbursement requests, according to the Federal Register.
Legal Posture
The case started in Baltimore City Circuit Court but was shifted to federal court and is now pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Court listings show it was removed on Feb. 12, 2026, as case no. 1:2026cv00582. Attorneys for the state, the governor, and the executive director of the crime prevention office have filed a motion to dismiss, arguing the claims lack merit in early filings and press accounts. With the removal completed and threshold motions on the table, a federal judge is expected to sort out procedural issues before any full discovery on the merits, according to Justia Dockets & Filings and reporting by WBAL-TV.
What This Could Mean for Victims and Nonprofits
Victim advocates warn that when reimbursements are suspended, survivors can be left waiting for help with basics like emergency housing, transportation, and counseling while nonprofits scramble to cover payroll and rent. Other victim service providers in Maryland say they have also experienced funding being pulled or reduced, stoking concerns about how consistently VOCA dollars are handled and overseen. If the court allows HER's case to proceed, the nonprofit is seeking repayment, damages, and injunctive relief aimed at restoring funding and services, a move that could invite closer scrutiny of how state administrators interpret federal victim service rules, according to local reporting on affected providers by WMAR-2.
