When Tiffany Carr, the former CEO of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, turned herself in last year on charges relating to grand theft and a scheme to defraud, domestic violence shelters and advocates were left to pick up the pieces. Now, Amanda Price, who heads the nonprofit that was created to replace Carr’s organization, is leading the cleanup effort.
Price uses words like “horrific” and “egregious” to describe the legacy of Tiffany Carr. Carr is charged with defrauding the organization she ran. She’s accused of amassing and then cashing in on hundreds of days of paid time off—amounting to more than $3.7 million that as a result didn’t go to people in dire need of protection and services. When she heard about it, Price says, she was astounded.
“It was so shocking," she said. "I remember thinking, ‘That just can’t be true. They probably just don’t have…She’s going to be able to explain…'No, let me explain to you how it actually works.’ You know, I really did think at the time I’m sure this is just, I don’t know, a paperwork issue or something. Right when it first happened. It was just too egregious.”
After reports broke about Carr’s actions and law enforcement launched an investigation, the state severed its contracts with the coalition. In 2020, the coalition was dissolved. Two years after that, the state’s local shelter directors started the Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence and hired Price as CEO. She says there have been many challenges.
“That trust and reputation is damaged forever," said Price. "I don’t know how to measure that. Is that ever going to come back?”
And Price isn’t the only one who feels that way. Emily Mitchem is the executive director of Refuge House, the shelter program that serves Florida’s Big Bend.
“The shadow that’s been cast because of the lack of integrity about how that organization was [pause] whatever you want to call it, run, that cast of shadows still is a challenge for all of us, I think," said Mitchem. "It was so shocking to see that an organization that’s supposed to help the most vulnerable people operated in that fashion.”
Now every employee, board member and bylaw at the Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence is different from its predecessor. The former coalition was a thoroughly top-down organization. This one has an egalitarian structure.
It also has a dual structure, with a board that’s responsible for watching the money and a program council that designates the services that the Partnership to End Domestic Violence provides. The state Department of Children and Families is the funder, certifying the shelter programs and monitoring them. FPEDV provides support, technical assistance and training. Price says things are better, but ….
“We’re still cleaning up. I mean, it’s been two years," she said. "This is the first interview I’ve done, because we’ve been really focused on building the house, you know, and not going out and telling everybody, ‘We’re fine, everything’s great!’ because we weren’t.”
The partnership’s efforts are needed. According to the state Department of Law Enforcement Uniform Crime Report, in 2020 there were 106,515 domestic violence offenses reported to law enforcement. And 217 people died due to domestic violence, representing about 20 percent of all homicides in Florida.
