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MDHHS Emails Reveal SafeHouse Executive Director Repeatedly Lied to Michigan Officials
by P.D. Lesko
On July 31, 2021, The Ann Arbor Independent published an article that revealed SafeHouse Center was unsafe, unsanitary and that client-facing staff at the non-profit worked in an atmosphere of what they called "racist…
Social Media Blocks By Local Elected Officials Trample on Residents’ First Amendment Rights
by P.D. Lesko
Note: If you are blocked on social media by any elected official, this may be a violation of your First Amendment rights. The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University successfully sued President Donald…
As Staff Repeatedly Refuse Shelter to Victims of Domestic/Sexual Violence, SafeHouse Center Holds Fundraiser
by P.D. Lesko
There are public calls for the Board members to step down. The Executive Director is on administrative leave. The non-profit facility, in photos and videos taken by residents, staff and interns, has been shown to be unsafe…
MDHHS Officials Say SafeHouse Executive Director’s Public Claim of State “Oversight” is Not True
by P.D. Lesko
SafeHouse Executive Director Barbara Niess-May has repeatedly told elected officials and the public a March 2021 MDHHS Division of Victim Services quality assurance report issued once every five years is proof that "the…
SafeHouse Center is a “Dangerous Dump” and Survivors Say, “Enough is Enough”
UPDATE 1/22/22: Independent Investigation Confirms Allegations of SafeHouse Mismanagement: Executive Director Barbara Niess-May Resigns
September 17, 2021: Updated with additional audio clips, video and photos.
Update October 6,…
SafeHouse Exec. Dir. and Staff Retaliated Against Sexual/Physical Assault Survivors Who Spoke Out About Health and Safety Concerns at the Shelter
by P.D. Lesko
SafeHouse staff, interns and residents say it's time for Barbara Niess-May to be replaced.
When asked during a Monday August 30 interview why she'd contacted The Ann Arbor Independent about what multiple SafeHouse…
Staff and Clients Allege SafeHouse Center is Mismanaged and a “Racist, Toxic” Environment
UPDATE 1/22/22: Independent Investigation Confirms Allegations of SafeHouse Mismanagement: Executive Director Barbara Niess-May Resigns
NOTE: SafeHouse Executive Director Barbara Niess-May has alleged that there are unspecified…
ADL: Michigan Antisemitic Incidents Increase 21 Percent in 2020
by Todd Heywood, Michigan Advance
The normalization of antisemitism is continuing a “very, very troubling” upward trend in Michigan, despite a year of health restrictions and social distancing that often meant less human…
Husband of Ann Arbor City Council Member to Be Sentenced on Domestic Violence Charge
by P.D. Lesko
Public records from Ann Arbor's 15th District Court show that on January 13, 2021 former Michigan State Senator Mitchell Irwin was arraigned before the Honorable Miriam A. Perry on a charge of domestic violence. Irwin is…
Local Ann Arbor Landlord and Others Who Are Politically-Connected Received Millions in PPP Loans
by P.D. Lesko
In Ann Arbor, 57 businesses received PPP (Paycheck Protection Plan) loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration in amounts between $1 million and $10 million. Only one of the companies, Skysync, Inc., is…