{"id":11561912,"date":"2025-07-16T13:26:03","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T17:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/?p=11561912"},"modified":"2025-07-16T16:03:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T20:03:47","slug":"baltimore-youth-fund-media-reporting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/2025\/07\/16\/baltimore-youth-fund-media-reporting\/","title":{"rendered":"Baltimore youth fund disputes media coverage of taxpayer spending"},"content":{"rendered":"

Legal counsel for the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund wrote a letter to Sinclair Inc., the parent company of Spotlight on Maryland, complaining of \u201cincessant media coverage\u201d about how the nonprofit spends millions of taxpayer dollars.<\/p>\n

BCYF is guaranteed annual funding through the Baltimore charter to support grassroots organizations that provide programs for kids. However, a series of Spotlight on Maryland investigations on BCYF\u2019s handling of tax money sparked concerns from some local leaders and transparency experts in recent months. This included reports about how BCYF paid for several out-of-state trips for its adult staff and partners, with specific expenses for activities such as yoga. Another report detailed how BCYF awarded a nearly $1 million grant to an organization that folded months later.<\/p>\n

Tiffany Releford of Ice Miller LLP wrote a letter this month on behalf of BCYF to Sinclair about what she described as \u201cunrelenting media coverage\u201d from Spotlight on Maryland, which they claimed “included inaccurate or misleading information.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis targeted coverage has not only caused significant reputational and financial harm to BCYF and its various grantees but has also materially impeded BCYF’s ability to carry out its critical mission of serving children in Baltimore,\u201d Releford wrote. \u201c[T]he repeated and slanted reporting-often lacking full context and omitting key facts-has fostered public mistrust and emboldened harassment of both BCYF and some of the grantees it serves. This harassment has escalated to such an extent that grantees have faced threats, and as a result, it has caused significant operational challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

An attorney for Sinclair sent a response noting that BCYF\u2019s legal counsel \u201cidentified no statement that is inaccurate or otherwise misleading” in\u00a0Spotlight on Maryland\u00a0reports.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn making these arguments, however, you offer no examples of erroneous information, indications of bias, or specifics on how our accurate reporting has caused financial or reputational harm to BCYF,\u201d Sinclair\u2019s attorney wrote in a responding letter. \u201cAbsent concrete details concerning the allegedly false statements or impact on your client, we are left speculating as to what specific issue your client takes with our reporting. The generalized assertions in your letter do not justify the extraordinary action you demand.\u201d<\/p>\n

David Williams, the president of the Taxpayer Protection Alliance, said the letter from BCYF\u2019s legal counsel shows the organization lacks focus on its intended mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey need to spend resources not on lawyers but on being transparent and providing information to the public,\u201d he told\u00a0Spotlight on Maryland.<\/p>\n

The letter from BCYF\u2019s legal counsel includes a complaint about the number of public information requests filed by Spotlight on Maryland. BCYF is required by law to comply with these requests because it is funded almost entirely by taxpayer dollars.<\/p>\n

\u201cBCYF has had to devote substantial resources to addressing the misinformation in these relentless reports, as well as responding to an overwhelming and excessive number of Public Information Act (PIA) requests by Baltimore Sun and WBFF staff, and particularly reporter Patrick Hauf,\u201d Releford wrote. \u201cWhen calculated, these resources total over 230 hours. This is not only draining taxpayer-funded resources but is also diverting BCYF’s focus away from its core mission of supporting the youth-development ecosystem of Baltimore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams described the complaint from BCYF as a \u201ccopout.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Maryland Public Information Act is practically the only way to get information out of these entities,\u201d he told\u00a0Spotlight on Maryland. \u201cFor a nonprofit to send a letter and to say that they are spending too much time to respond to these \u2014 it\u2019s a copout.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several\u00a0Spotlight on Maryland\u00a0investigations in recent months were made possible through public information requests that resulted in documentation of BCYF\u2019s spending.<\/p>\n

Documents showed BCYF spent roughly $130,000 on a trip this year to New Orleans for its staff, board of directors and select grant partners. Another public information request revealed BCYF paid for a trip last year for its staff and partners to Alabama, which included a $3,600 expense for three yoga sessions and one \u201cshort breathing exercise.\u201d The organization spent roughly another $55,000 to attend a racial equity conference in Missouri last year, according to additional obtained documents.<\/p>\n

BCYF President Alysia Lee did not respond to repeated requests from\u00a0Spotlight on Maryland\u00a0for an interview.<\/p>\n

BCYF emphasized in previous statements that its trips to New Orleans and Alabama intended to boost “capacity building\u201d efforts for Baltimore youth organizations.<\/p>\n