Brooklyn Defender Services joined the Family Justice Law Center, the Center for Family Representation, the NYU Family Defense Clinic, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, and others to file a federal class action lawsuit challenging unconstitutional delays in New York’s process for appealing “indicated” listings on the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment. Thousands of parents are forced to wait more than a year to clear their names—despite the fact that roughly 70% ultimately prevail—while being shut out of jobs in health care, education, and child care and barred from caring for their own relatives. “As public defenders, we see firsthand the harm a parent’s SCR indicated report can have on a family—from a parent losing a long-standing job, to reduced employment opportunities and the inability to be a family support system for loved ones in crisis,” said Lauren Shapiro, Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice. “New York families deserve a fair and timely process when they seek to appeal their inclusion on the SCR. We are deeply grateful to the plaintiffs and witnesses in this case who have bravely stepped forward to fight against unconstitutional delays in SCR appeals, which have hindered their ability to work and provide for their families.”

Read the press release here.

Read the lawsuit here.

View New York Times coverage about the lawsuit here.