SafeHouse Center

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…

by P.D. Lesko On Sept. 19, Jeffrey Dwayne Smith, 47, of Flatrock, Michigan, was arraigned in 14A-1 District Court before Magistrate Elisha A. Fink. Smith was charged with one count of sexual assault, as well as two counts of domestic…

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…

Local and county elected officials must ask Michigan AG Dana Nessel to investigate SafeHouse Center, its Executive Director and its Board of Directors. Here's why: purported public fraud by the non-profit. On September 22, the…

by P.D. Lesko Update 9/26/21: Ann Arbor Council member Elizabeth Nelson (D-Ward 4) signed the letter. Efforts by the Executive Director and Board members of SafeHouse Center to hire a Miller-Canfield lawyer and conduct a quiet…

by P.D. Lesko Jeffrey Dwayne Smith. Photo | The Ann Arbor Independent On Sept. 19, Jeffrey Dwayne Smith, 47, of Flatrock, Michigan, was arraigned in 14A-1 District Court before Magistrate Elisha A. Fink. Smith was charged with one…

by Council member Katherine J. Griswold, MBA, MSW Hello Barbara Niess-May, SafeHouse provides a critical service in our community. Per its mission: to provide safety, support, advocacy and resources for survivors of sexual assault…

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,…

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…