charitable funds for personal use by Teachers Group members. In response, the United Nations Children’s Fund halted funding to these organizations. An August 2016 report by the British Broadcasting Corporation, in partnership with the Center for Investigative Reporting, led the United Kingdom Department for International Development to suspend payments as well. Center for Investigative Reporting lawsuit In 2017 Planet Aid sued The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) for libel, alleging a conspiracy to interfere with Planet Aid's business over CIR's reporting on Planet Aid’s business practices and relations with Tvind. CIR compared the case to Bollea v. Gawker, saying it was an attempt by deep pocketed individuals to use the courts to silence a media outlet. In March 2021, the case was dismissed with prejudice. The court ruled that although Reveal's publications had included 46 false allegations regarding Planet Aid and other plaintiffs, who were able to provide evidence that all funds were accounted for and used for intended projects, the plaintiffs were public figures and therefore subject to a higher standard for libel. "In sum, as to the allegedly defamatory statements for which plaintiffs have sufficiently shown falsity, plaintiffs have failed to show defendants made those statements with actual malice, and, consequently, their defamation claim is subject to dismissal." See also Other clothes collection organizations alleged to be controlled by Tvind/The Teachers Group: Gaia Movement USA USAgain References External links 501(c)(3) organizations 1997 establishments in Massachusetts Non-profit organizations based in Maryland Charities based in Maryland Organizations established in 1997 Tvind