NYC DOE Senior Counsel and Investigations

If you are charged with corporal punishment or verbal abuse, use the information below to prove/disprove what the investigator on your case did wrong, and hopefully you will win your case.

Betsy Combier

Available at: NYC DOE Senior Counsel

Senior Field Counsel

Each Children First Network (CFN) has a designated senior attorney and a paralegal to provide legal support to network and cluster staffs, as well as to school leadership throughout the borough.

The Senior Field Counsel provide direct assistance to administrators and school leadership in resolving matters with legal implications. The attorneys also provide guidance in interpreting and implementing the Chancellor’s Regulations.

Senior Field Counsel can provide legal guidance in many areas, including:

• Labor and Employment law, including employee discipline
• student safety and health
• student discipline
• school policies, including religious accommodations, dress codes, school trips, school security, student health, etc.
• facilities issues
• other school-based legal issues as needed
• assist with responses to litigation, human rights investigations, student discipline matters and other legal matters

The Senior Field Counsel also provide regular trainings to school leadership on a variety of legal issues. Specific trainings can be requested through your Senior Field Counsel.


School Based Investigation LinksCorporal Punishment Reporting Form
A-420: Pupil Behavior and Discipline - Corporal Punishment
A-421: Verbal Abuse


School Based Investigation Checklist
Instructions for Investigating School Based Complaints
48 Hour Notice
Waiver of Union Representation
Waiver of 48 Hour Notice
Privacy Acknowledgement

• Contacts
• Robin Greenfield, Deputy General Counsel
  (212) 374-2983
  RGreenf@schools.nyc.gov
• Robin Singer, Associate Counsel
  (212) 374-7536
  RSinger4@schools.nyc.gov
• Lisa Becker, Senior Field Counsel - Networks: 561, 562, 563, 606, District 79 schools
  (718) 420-5636
  LMBecke@schools.nyc.gov
• Susan Dombrow, Senior Field Counsel - Networks: 112, 202, 412, 551, 611, 612
  (718) 935-5971
  SDombro@schools.nyc.gov
• Matt Fleming, Senior Field Counsel - Networks: 201, 203, 204, 206, 208, 209, 571
  (718) 391-8219
  MFleming4@schools.nyc.gov
• Jeffrey Gamils, Senior Field Counsel - Networks: 105, 106, 108, 109, 511, 521
  (718) 741-8795
  JGamils@schools.nyc.gov
• Gillian Kost, Senior Field Counsel - Networks: 401, 402, 404, 406, 407, 408, 411
  (212) 356-3732
  GKost@schools.nyc.gov
• Robin Merrill, Senior Field Counsel - Networks: 602, 603, 604, 605, 607, 609
  (718) 390-1433
  RMerril@schools.nyc.gov
• Julianne Newman , Senior Field Counsel - Networks: 403, 405, 409, 410, District 75 schools
  (212) 356-3738
  JNewman5@schools.nyc.gov
• Philip Oliveri, Senior Field Counsel - Networks: 101, 102, 103, 107, 113, 608
  (718) 935-5930
  POliveri2@schools.nyc.gov
• Dennisa Torres, Senior Field Counsel - Networks: 531, 532, 533, 534, 535, 536
  (718) 741-8854
  DTorres@schools.nyc.gov
• Marisol Vazquez, Senior Field Counsel - Networks: 205, 207, 210, 211
  (718) 391-8158
  MVazquez16@schools.nyc.gov