On February 21, 2024 a class action was brought against the Administration for Children Services (ACS). The allegations were that ACS has used widespread coercive tactics to enter and search thousands of families’ homes on a yearly basis in violation of these families’ rights under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Home Searches
ACS conducts home searches in almost all of the 50,000 investigations the agency is involved in every year. These investigations impact on 70,000 caretakers and 90,000 children. ACS fraudulently tell every parent they are investigating that they have no choice but to let them in their house. They even make threats to take the children away or call the police if they denied entry. These actions are in violation of all of the parents’ rights under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution involving unreasonable search and seizures. When ACS enters the house they read labels in the medicine cabinets, they open dresser drawers and sometimes they even demand to see children naked bodies. These searches are unconstitutional and in violation of the parents’ and children’s Fourth Amendment rights.
The class action seeks to show that ACS’s unconstitutional home searches cause lasting harm to parents and children. These parents and children feel powerless because ACS makes a presentation of governmental authority to take these actions.
Elliot S. Schlissel has represented men and women throughout the Metropolitan New York area charged with child abuse and child neglect by ACS, CPS and other child abuse agencies. Elliot has been successful in exonerating his clients in numerous cases involving false charges brought against them.
