LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The mission of domestic violence survivor support organizations in our community is vital.
However, nearly two dozen people, including clients and former employees, tell 13 Investigates that SafeNest — Nevada's largest domestic violence shelter — is failing to fulfill that mission in a number of ways.
13 Investigates began this important series in October — during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
13 Investigates
Investigating SafeNest: Watch the full Channel 13 investigation
In part five of our investigation, we're getting exclusive insight from former insiders seeking to shine a light on SafeNest's problems in pursuit of a brighter future.
"I, myself, am a domestic violence survivor, and I felt like it was really important for me to give back to the community," said Jayna Knight, who worked at SafeNest from October 2020 through March 2021. She was saddened by my reports but says she's not surprised that so little has changed in three years.
"And on behalf of all of the other staff that don't want to come forward, we are all very sorry."
They're sorry for the experiences multiple women detailed when they lived at SafeNest between Fall 2023 and Spring 2024, telling 13 Investigates:
"You call it SafeNest but we're not safe," Lauren said.
"No structure. It's complete mayhem," April said.
"Nobody helps. Nobody cares," Natasha said.
"And someone needs to do something with that place," MJ said.
Those four women documented multiple incidents of violence, theft, weapons, drugs and unsanitary living conditions at SafeNest.
WATCH: Domestic violence survivors say SafeNest shelter has them living in squalor
"These are people who have been in lethal situations. That alone is already traumatizing enough. And then, to leave from that situation and be brought into shelter at SafeNest thinking that it's a safe space and it's not ... I don't care if it's just one person who complains. You've got to fix this! Otherwise, you're the problem. Right?"
That's was said by one of three former SafeNest employees who contacted us since our series began. The two who say they left amicably asked us to protect their identities for fear of retaliation.
Knight disclosed that she was fired after a personal situation with an abusive ex impacted her at work.
"I was the only person that wanted to work the graveyard shift. I was there at the shelter, by myself, and I had a baseball bat and I had a panic button to call the police if something bad happened and that was it," Knight told me, while describing her six months at SafeNest.
"If anything was to happen in one of the homes or even in the shelter section where my office is, to get up to the top where the women stay in the shelter and/or to any of the homes that they're in, I don't have ... Someone could die!"
Another former employee came forward "because I just wanted to help to validate what the survivors had shared in your series."
Darcy Spears: "The CEO wasn't even willing to look at the photos and the videos that these women sent. But what do you know about their previous efforts, their grievances, their submittal of some of that same evidence before they even came to us?"
Former Employee: "I have seen the pictures because they sent the email to an inbox that the CEO has access to. I know for a fact because I had people from my team personally share this information with her and she dismissed it then."
We tried to interview CEO Liz Ortenburger to ask her about this but through the public relations firm SafeNest works with, they declined the interview. However, she did speak with us in early October.
"I will, of course, digest this with my team as we continue working to have the best possible space that we can with the resources we have for survivors," Ortenburger said.
Both of the former employees whose identities we're protecting are among at least half a dozen who left SafeNest this year; nearly all of them telling 13 Investigates they had concerns with how the organization was being run.
Darcy Spears: "There was a notable number of staff members that all left around the same time. Why did that happen?"
Former Employee: "Liz Ortenburger. She created a very hostile work environment for many employees."
So who's next in line for accountability?
The Board of Directors.
They are required by federal law to provide independent oversight of the non-profit, including shelter operations, finances, and the CEO.
"The Board of Directors were hand-picked by the CEO, so they are her friends. So let's just start there. They were very kind people. I felt that they were compassionate but they never really told Liz no. They never really questioned anything," a former employee explained.
Through the public relations firm, SafeNest's board declined any interviews, referring us back to a November 5 statement, which says the board "stands unified in its unwavering support for SafeNest's mission and the impactful work led by our CEO, Liz Ortenburger."
Former employees believe the board should do better, especially when it comes to money.
"It's absolute mishandling of funds," said one former employee, citing the example of the non-profit's main annual fundraiser.
SafeNest's most recent 990 form shows last year's event brought in $111,000 but only $2,500 — which is just 2.25% — went back to SafeNest. All the rest was spent on the event itself and you can see some of the event expenses below.
SafeNest tells me proceeds from this year's event are still being finalized.
"The dollars that are raised go to help pay for kids going to camp, counseling sessions, beds, suitcases, other things that help fill the need for our survivors," Ortenburger previously told us.
One of the things Ortenburger mentioned — kids going to camp — refers to their Camp Hope program.
Former Employee: "It's a wonderful program in thought. It is not a well-run program in practice."
Darcy Spears: "Who gets to go to Camp Hope?"
Former Employee: "There is a list of children who have been going for years. Any additional spots that are open for Camp Hope are supposed to be filled by referrals (of at-risk youth) from partnering agencies. There's a lot of individuals who are within shelter, children specifically, who wanted to go to camp and were told that they weren't allowed to by staff."
The former employee says that's because the shelter isn't considered stable housing.
Former Employee: "So until they have stable housing and stable living situations, they're not allowed to go."
Darcy Spears: "And is it true that staff members kids got to go while shelter residents' kids did not?"
Former Employee: "Yes. Several staff members' kids."
This former employee worked at Camp Hope this past summer, which was held at Imperial Beach in San Diego.
"Camp felt very chaotic. I remember that there were a ton of fights with the kids. There were also children who were supposed to have medication and then they never received their medication."
Former employees say the SafeNest executives who attended Camp Hope did little to help quell the violence or enforce any rules.
"It seemed like a mini-vacation for them. A lot of them were not willing to lift a finger to help out. Some were laying out on the beach while kids were fighting."
"There were several volunteers who said that they would never do it again or return," another former employee told me.
"Oh yeah. There were lots of volunteers who said that they would never come back, that it was so unorganized, and they felt so stressed out afterwards. They felt like they didn't have the proper training," another former employee said.
The former employees also raised questions about donations for Camp Hope.
In an email, SafeNest told 13 Investigates it "received a financial donation from a holiday giving program, which was used to pay for waterproof shoes provided to kids and youth in our Camp Hope summer program."
The former employees question that.
"There were no new shoes," one said. "It was my understanding that they were going to purchase Crocs for all of the kids at Camp Hope and I had told them a dollar amount that they could spend. But when I got to Camp Hope, I did not see any of the children wearing Crocs or any new shoes. And, you know, when children have something new, they want to show the adults. They want to show them off. But that did not happen."
The other former employee echoed that, claiming no waterproof shoes were purchased for youth attending camp.
SafeNest maintains it is committed to using donations as intended by its supporters but the former employees told us when it comes to donations, Ortenburger has made her preference known.
"I know that suitcases came into SafeNest and Liz was not happy about getting physical suitcases. She wanted money instead because she called it 'unrestricted funds'."
Darcy Spears: "And how does that correlate with the immediate needs of the victims in shelter?"
Former Employee: "You know, the ladies in-shelter need these suitcases, especially when they're fleeing a situation and they're leaving with just the clothes on their backs and maybe a trash bag with items in them."
Darcy Spears: "What did getting money as opposed to physical items allow Liz to do?"
Former Employee: "With unrestricted funds, it gave her the ability to, let's say, go to Washington D.C. or go to the Nevada state office to get policies changed. So she wanted to at least have the freedom to do that or to spend the money how she saw fit."
When we reached out to SafeNest as we started digging into their finances for our reports, they said in an email that they undergo an annual independent financial audit and that the most recent one covering July 2023 - June 2024 was clean with no findings. They also emphasized that they hold a platinum seal for fiscal transparency with the world's largest source of information on nonprofit organizations.
Knight says the bottom line is that shelter residents deserve better, "And I'm here to help make a change. I'm here to help make it better."
When our coverage continues, we'll take a deeper dive into what happens to the donations so many of you in our community give to SafeNest.
We'll also examine what other domestic violence organizations call unequal funding in our state that puts resources for survivors at risk.
If you or someone you know needs help, here's a list of domestic violence resources:
- Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada
- Crisis Support Services of Nevada
- Nevada 211
- Signs of Hope
- Help of Southern Nevada
- Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence
- Marsy's Law for Nevada
