Profile

Deborah Ausburn is a member of Taylor English’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department, where she focuses on advising and defending youth-serving organizations. Ms. Ausburn has spent more than 30 years as a social worker, foster parent, criminal prosecutor, and civil trial attorney. Her experience includes successful cases before the United States Supreme Court in constitutional claims, extensive work in free speech and religious freedom issues, and dozens of successful jury trials. That experience has given her a national presence with organizations that serve young people.

Ms. Ausburn's background has given her unique insights into defending child care centers, camps, schools, and mentoring organizations. She has volunteered with and defended youth-serving organizations throughout the United States in matters as diverse as personal injury cases, intrusive government regulations, libel and slander issues, and claims of sexual abuse. She has conducted numerous investigations of claims of historic child abuse and sexual assault or harassment claims.  She also advises youth-serving organizations about child protection policies, staff screening, conduct standards, cyberbullying, and best practices for protecting the children in their care.

Prior to joining Taylor English, Ms. Ausburn worked with well-respected civil litigation firms defending personal injury claims against youth-serving organizations and medical facilities as well as defending child care centers and private schools in disputes with state and federal governments. She served as a federal prosecutor in Western North Carolina, prosecuting cases of sexual assault, child abuse, and drug trafficking. She has worked with non-profit legal foundations defending free speech, religious liberties, and property rights in various federal courts.

Selected Representations

• Lead counsel in Solis v. Laurelbrook Sanitarium and School, Inc., Case No. 09-6128 (6th Cir., April 28, 2011), successfully defending private vocational school against Department of Labor's attempt to apply workplace regulations
• Successful argument before the United States Supreme Court in Northeastern Florida Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America v. City of Jacksonville, 508 U.S. 656 (1993)
• Assisted Centers for Disease Control in preparation of 2007 publication, Preventing Child Sexual Abuse Within Youth-Serving Organizations: Getting Started on Policies and Procedures
• Appointed by Governor Perdue to Board of Georgia Department Human Resources, 2005-2007
• Lead federal prosecutor in numerous jury trials of rape and child sexual abuse cases from Cherokee Indian Reservation in western North Carolina, along with federal pornography and sex trafficking cases, 1992-1999

Memberships

State Bar of Georgia

State Bar of North Carolina

Claims and Litigation Management (CLM) Alliance

Federalist Society

American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC)

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

American Camping Association

Coverdell Leadership Institute, 2001-2002

Community Involvement

Board of Directors, Successful Survivors Foundation, 2022-present

Boy Scouts of America, Atlanta Area Council, Youth Protection Advisory Committee, 2012-present

Board of Directors, Enduring Hearts, Inc., 2018-2021

Board of Directors, Cherokee Child Advocacy Council, 2008-2019

Board of Directors, Hillside, Inc., 2012-2018

Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, Inc.

• Board of Directors 2003-2005
• Advisory Board 2012-2014

Georgia Department of Human Resources, Board Member 2005-2007

Caring for Children, Asheville, NC

• Foster Parent, 1995-1999
• Board Member, 1998-1999

Practice Highlights

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