Temporary restraining order granted to anti-domestic violence groups in federal suit
A judge has granted a temporary restraining order to anti-domestic violence groups that are suing federal agencies over withheld grant funding.
The temporary restraining order prevents the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Housing and Urban Development from requiring the 20-plus organizations to avert funding from promoting gender ideology, funding or promoting elective abortions, and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Our organizations exist to serve everyone with compassion and equity, and we will not be forced to choose between our values and mission and the communities we serve. The court’s order is a critical step in protecting life-saving programs and ensuring that the providers across the country can continue their work without political interference,” the plaintiffs said in an emailed statement.
“We brought this case because we have seen firsthand the harm these restrictions would cause. This ruling affirms what we have long known: that the law does not permit any government to use its funding power to force service providers to abandon their core principles,” the statement said.
The plaintiffs are being represented by Democracy Forward, Jacobson Lawyers Group, National Women’s Law Center, Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island and the ACLU Foundation of Rhode Island.
Lauren Sandler Zurier, the U.S. attorney representing the defendants, could not be immediately reached.
The plaintiffs, which include Jane Doe Inc. of Massachusetts and 21 other organizations, filed a request for the temporary restraining order on July 21. It was granted on Thursday, according to the docket.
The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, is a lengthy 92 pages and accuses four federal departments and their administrators of abuse of power. The plaintiffs say they are being forced to accept the Trump administration’s ideological terms or lose funding.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of HHS, Scott Turner of HUD, Andrew Gradison of the Administration for Children and Families, Susan Monarez of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Thomas J. Engels of the Health Resources and Services Administration are all named defendants in the lawsuit.
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