Residents may voice their concerns with the United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley’s demand for local organizations to either collect data on local minor children’s sexuality or lose their already-approved funding by contacting their respective city council members.
COLUMBUS, Ga. — The local United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley is forcing local non-profits to either collect data on the sexuality of local children or lose their already-approved grant funding.
The absolutely outlandish data requirement was not part of the non-profits’ already-approved funding agreements with the United Way.
Many large non-profits who receive funding from the local United Way are now voicing serious legal and moral concerns about the United Way’s extortionary request.
To be absolutely clear: the United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley, under the direction of Ben Moser, President; and Erika Cottingham, CFO/COO; is requiring post factum that large area non-profit organizations must now provide UW with data on the sexuality of the minor children their organizations serve, or else they will pull their funding entirely.
Several employees from several large area non-profits have since reached out to the Muckraker expressing the insanity of the United Way’s demand.
Not only does the UW’s disgusting request raise serious moral concerns for having anyone ask kids about their sexuality without parental consent, but it also places an extreme burden of financial, ethical, and legal liability for the organizations and their own donors.
By complying with the United Way’s likely-illegal request, the organizations are absorbing liability that the United Way is conveniently escaping themselves. Furthermore, the local organizations have their own reputations, independent agendas, and financial obligations to uphold to themselves, their donors, and those they serve in the community.
Being extorted to ask minor children about their sexuality wouldn’t even fly on a job application, let alone as a back-door requirement for grant funding that has already been approved.
Health-related organizations in the area have expressed that they legally cannot comply with the United Way’s demands, since collecting and disclosing such data on anyone — let alone on minor children — constitutes a HIPAA violation. No matter what the United Way thinks they are entitled to extort from people, they legally cannot have it from health-related organizations.
Several other nation-wide non-profits with chapters here in Columbus have stated that the United Way’s requirements to collect sexual data on children violates their organization’s policies, which are designed to comply with federal privacy laws.
Nonetheless, under the direction of President Ben Moser, the United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley is demanding that many large Columbus non-profits must comply with his sick & twisted organization’s need for information about the sexuality of minors — and he’ll pull your funding if you don’t comply with his sick and twisted demand.
The timing of the incident aligns perfectly with City Manager Isaiah Hugley requesting to award the United Way with $400,000 “to address the poverty rate in Columbus.” According to CCG, the funds were received by the city through the American Rescue Plan. However, poverty has continued to rise in Columbus for over a decade and was not causally-linked to the pandemic.
“Leave our kids the hell alone,” one resident said. “That’s not a request. That’s a public service announcement.”
The United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley is headquartered at 1005 Front Avenue in Columbus, Georgia. They may be contacted by phone at 706-327-3255. According to the organization’s website, executive staff can be reached through email as follows:
Residents may voice their concerns with the United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley’s demand for local organizations to either collect data on local minor children’s sexuality or lose their already-approved funding by contacting their respective city council members.
Facts are stubborn things — and we’ll keep publishing them, whether city officials like them or not.
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