Our team of attorneys, social workers, parent advocates, and administrators understand what’s at stake for families.

Our team of family defenders is driven by a core belief that the families we represent deserve a strong defense, abundant support, and fierce advocacy. We are here to help them be seen in a system that reduces these families down into a single harmful narrative.

But our clients are not stereotypes or statistics. They are real families with unique hopes and dreams who face systemic challenges that can be impossible to navigate alone. We know that the family policing system targets low-income Black and Brown families. And we believe wholeheartedly that rather than policing and punishment, families deserve our empathy and support. Experiencing poverty is not a crime, and it is not neglect. Yet the “child welfare” system still separates loving families on a daily basis, causing irreparable harm and lasting trauma to both children and parents. 

Our team of attorneys, social workers, and parent advocates—who have direct experience being investigated by ACS—work in partnership with our clients to listen to their needs. We know what’s at stake for our clients because we have fought alongside them and have seen what the family policing system does to thousands of families in New York City. For our parent advocates, they know this impact better than anyone else on our team having lived through it themselves. 

Together, our team is committed to fiercely defending the fundamental rights of parents and youth and realizing a world in which low-income Black and Brown families receive equal resources and treatment as wealthy white communities.

Executive Staff

• Tehra Coles, Executive Director 
• Dr. Alicia Williams, Chief Operating Officer 
• Samantha Miele, Chief Financial Officer

Managing Directors

• Wanjiro Gethaiga, Managing Director, Social Work 
• Christine Waer, Managing Director, Litigation

Attorneys In-Charge

• Jeffrey Compton, Attorney-in-Charge of Civil Defense
• Melissa Lombreglia, Attorney-in-Charge of SCR
• Zoe Schonfeld, Attorney-in-Charge of Immigration
• Carol Siegel, Attorney-in-Charge of Criminal Defense 
• Emily Wall, Attorney-in-Charge of Appeals 

Directors

• Malena Arnaud, Social Work Director 
• Kelsey Boston, Social Work Director 
• Christine Bruno, Litigation Director 
• Ari Chiarella, Social Work Director 
• Wendell Cruz, Litigation Director 
• Diana Denza, Communications Director
• Teyora Graves, Parent Advocate Director
• Gordon Hamm, Informational Technology Director 
• Sandeep Kandhari, Litigation Director, Youth Defence Practice 
• Mallory King, Development Director 
• Ysmerlyn Murshed, Social Work Director 
• Alexandra Rosin, Litigation Director 
• Kenneth Sokol, Litigation Director
• Ginelle Stephenson, Social Work Director  
• Vasilios Stotis, Litigation Director

Deputy Directors

• Maggie Nieves, Social Work Deputy Director