Playgrounds Expert Witnesses: 4

Dr. C.J. Abraham, P.E. is a Licensed Professional Safety Engineer with over thirty five years of international experience consulting to insurance companies, municipalities, government agencies, and the legal profession. He provides consultation to International corporations in the areas of New Product Development, Manufacturing, Packaging, Warnings and Instructions. 

Dr Abraham's services include Expert Witness Testimony for both Plaintiff and Defense in matters involving Personal Injury and Product Liability. 

Areas of Expertise:

Laura Miele, PhD, CST-2, is a Sport, Fitness, and Education Expert with over 30 years of experience in various aspects of sport, fitness, and physical activity including the education, training, and supervision of athletes. Dr. Miele is a Nationally Certified Accredited Interscholastic Coach through the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) and has 14 years of physical education experience, (Pre-kindergarten-12) within multiple states across the country.  

Background Experience - Dr. Miele played Division I basketball at Arizona State; was Tight End for the Arizona Caliente, of the Women’s Professional Football League; and was also a New York Golden Gloves semi-finalist in 2004. She began coaching athletes in 1986 and has been involved as a personal exercise and fitness trainer since 1994.  She has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe as an athlete and coach and has been involved in consulting, coaching and teaching a wide range of sports including but not limited to; Basketball, Gymnastics, Volleyball, Softball, Baseball, Football, Archery, Bowling, Figure Skating, Hockey, Boxing, Wrestling, Field Sports, Golf, Soccer, Swimming, Track and Field, and Tennis. 

Dr. Miele is a level 2 Certified Service Technician for the International Association of Trampoline Parks. She serves on the Sports Equipment, Playing Surfaces, and Facilities Committee and currently serves and assists on the task force that is in the process of creating the standards for Amusement Challenge Areas. She has given numerous presentations on the topics of sport injury prevention as well as supervision and safety in Amusement Challenge Courses / Trampoline Parks Risk Management.

Litigation Support - Dr. Miele is an expert in fitness, sport and recreation with specific expertise in sports psychology, coaching, recreation, personal training, fitness facilities management/operations, and injury prevention. She is an accomplished athlete as well as an experienced trainer, coach and teacher. She provides expert witness services to attorneys for both plaintiff and defendant. Her services include thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. 

Dr. Miele has relevant experience in the proper teaching standards required by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) for the:

• Proper Supervision Before, During, and After School
• Skill Progression and Instruction
• Proper Use of Safety Equipment
• Practices related to the Role and Responsibilities of Teachers and Administrators  

Areas of Expertise:

• Fitness Facility Operations including Personal Training, Supervision, Risk Management, and Injury Prevention
• Physical Education, Sport and Recreation-Risk Management
• School / Teacher Supervision-Playground-Recess
• Proper Coaching Training Practices and Procedures in Sports
• Gymnastics, Trampoline Parks / Amusement Challenge Courses
• Emergency Preparation and Response in Schools, Fitness and Sport Facilities

R. Leslie Nichols, CPP, specializes in cases involving Sexual Abuse in schools, churches, camps, mentoring programs, sports organizations, and after-school programs.  He is the former National Vice President over child safety for Boys & Girls Clubs of America (National Headquarters) and oversaw the development of organizational policies and practices to protect 4 million youth at 4,000 sites in the U.S. and abroad. In 2016, Mr. Nichols began private practice as an expert witness and as direct consultant to schools and other youth-serving organizations.

Mr. Nichols has authored, co-authored, or contributed to numerous publications addressing various aspects of protecting children and has been interviewed, quoted and cited in various print and broadcast media.  He was a contributor to the Maryland Guidelines and Best Practices for the Design, Assessment and Modification of Physical Facilities and Spaces to Reduce Opportunities for Child Sexual Abuse (2020, SCANN) and the Recommened Guidelines and Best Practices: Background Screening in Youth-Serving Organizations, 3rd Ed. (2021, NCYS). He co-authored the textbook, Extreme Violence: Understanding & Protecting People from Active Assailants, Hate Crimes & Terrorist Attacks (2021, Cognella Academic).

Mr. Nichols is a member and past president of the National Coalition for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, a board-certified security professional (CPP) with ASIS International and holdds a Master of Science in Security Administration.

Mr. Nichols has been retained or served as a fact witness in over 30 cases, involving sexual abuse and other harm within organizations.

Examples include:

• A contract school bus driver molests a student on the bus
• A school music instructor grooms and molests his teen student
• A organization’s screening process misses obvious red flags
• A college ministry fails to provide oversight to prevent an accidental death
• A disabled child is molested by another child while being transported on a bus
• A sports organization fails to audit its child protection program
• A church volunteer systematically grooms and molests young boy
• Two teens rape a female, special needs student between classes
• A child is injured on a roof during an afterschool program
• An organization fails to provide effective sex abuse prevention resources to its affiliate
• A young boy is molested by other boys at a church retreat

View Les Nichols' Consulting Profile.

David Harlowe is the Founder and President of The Sport Management Group, Inc. (SMG), a nationally recognized Risk Management Expert with 28 years of dedicated service in the Athletic, Fitness, and Recreation Industries. He is an accomplished professional known for conducting safety audits, risk assessments, and developing strategies for numerous organizations, including the Atlantic Coast Conference. 

David has personally performed over 3,500 safety audits on athletic and fitness facilities and has performed over 14,000 risk assessments nationwide. With a vast range of expertise and a commitment to safety, he has made a significant impact in the field of risk management. 

Litigation Support - David has been retained as an expert witness in over 40 cases nationwide. His services are available to attorneys for plaintiff and defense and is well-acquainted with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines.

Areas of Expertise:

Career Highlights:

• Manages over 500 independent field inspectors around the country
• Authored various safety manuals and training programs designed for athletic directors, health club owners and managers
• Created and currently maintains a website, https://facilityriskservices.com, a 24-hour resource for facility owners and staff members
• Developed risk management websites specifically for the athletic, fitness and recreation industries
• Conducts risk management lectures at local universities and colleges
• Developed an E-Learning Program specific to the athletic and fitness industries
• Authored “Fitness Center Safety” chapter in Risk Management in Sports, Second Edition, edited by Herb Appenzeller.