A Lifeline Withheld: HER Resiliency Center Sues Governor Moore’s Administration Over Victim Fund Retaliation
By Barry O’Connell
October 29, 2025 | Baltimore, MD
In a stunning escalation that exposes the fragility of Maryland’s victim support infrastructure, HER Resiliency Center and its founder Natasha Guynes have filed suit against Governor Wes Moore’s administration, alleging breach of contract and retaliatory withholding of victim assistance funds. The lawsuit, filed October 29, 2025, marks a turning point in the state’s relationship with trauma recovery nonprofits—and raises urgent questions about political accountability, fiscal stewardship, and survivor dignity.
HER Resiliency Center, founded in 2015 by Guynes—a survivor turned advocate—has served over 3,750 women across Baltimore and Washington, D.C., offering trauma-informed care, mentorship, and career development. The organization operated under a reimbursement contract with the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP), advancing funds in good faith to deliver services. But according to the lawsuit, the state failed to reimburse HER, forcing a full suspension of programming and leaving vulnerable women without support.
> “We acted in good faith,” Guynes said. “GOCPP’s failure to honor their contract threatens not only the stability of our organization but the safety and well-being of the women we serve.” [1]
This is not a budgetary oversight—it’s a reputational rupture. HER’s track record includes recognition from Baltimore Magazine as a 2024 Game Changer and commendations from the City of Baltimore’s Office of Equity and Civil Rights. The organization has operated with transparency, compassion, and measurable impact. To withhold funds from such a lifeline is not just administrative negligence—it’s a moral failure.
A Pattern of Harm?
The lawsuit hints at retaliation, suggesting HER may have been targeted for speaking out about systemic failures. If true, this would place Maryland’s executive branch in direct conflict with the very principles of restorative justice it claims to uphold. The chilling effect on other nonprofits—especially those serving survivors of trafficking, domestic violence, and exploitation—cannot be overstated.
This editorial does not speculate on motive. But it does demand clarity. Maryland’s victim services ecosystem cannot function if reimbursement contracts are weaponized or politicized. Survivors deserve better. Advocates deserve better. And the public deserves answers.
Seeking Accountability
HER’s lawsuit is not just a legal maneuver—it’s a call for systemic reform. It invites legislators, watchdogs, and citizens to examine how victim assistance funds are allocated, monitored, and protected from political interference. It also challenges Governor Moore’s administration to respond not with deflection, but with transparency and repair.
If Maryland is serious about equity, it must start by honoring its commitments to those who serve the most vulnerable. HER Resiliency Center has done its part. Now the state must do the same.
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Footnotes
[1] HER Resiliency Center’s official press release announcing the lawsuit and service suspension
http://www.herresiliency.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/HER-service-suspension.pdf
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