Barbara Niess-May

by P.D. Lesko Since the July 31, 2021 publication of the first in a series of investigative articles about the mismanagement of SafeHouse Center, the County's domestic violence shelter, all 18 members of the Board of Directors on whose…

Michigan's sunshine laws (the Open Meetings and the Freedom of Information Acts) apply to governmental entities and, under certain circumstances, non-profits. In Nov. 2021, The A2Indy submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for…

Updated 1/24/22 with comments from Nicole Beverly. by P.D. Lesko On January 18, 2022, after the results of an independent investigation into allegations of mismanagement were delivered to the SafeHouse Board of Directors, long-time…

by P.D. Lesko The Ann Arbor Independent used the Michigan Freedom of Information Act to obtain eight months of County Administrator Greg Dill's county-owned cell phone bills, as well as emails between Dill and former SafeHouse Executive…

Editor's note: On October 17, 2021, The Ann Arbor Independent published an editorial in which we called for the Washtenaw Board of Commissioners to fire Greg Dill for his role in putting domestic violence victims and their children in…

Here are the top 10 stories in 2021 for The Ann Arbor Independent, based on page views. No. 1 Date: Jul. 31, 2021 SafeHouse Center Executive Director Barbara Niess-May Headline: “Staff and Clients Allege SafeHouse Center is…

by P.D. Lesko A whistleblower's complaint against SafeHouse Center, the non-profit's Board members, Executive Director and staff, dated October 31, 2021, has been filed with Michigan's Attorney General. The complaint asks AG Dana Nessel…

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…

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…

At an October 6, 2021 meeting of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, County Administrator Greg Dill informed the Commissioners that there would soon be an announcement about "interim leadership" at SafeHouse Center. Dill not only…