Profile

Ayanna concentrates her practice in school law and counsels K-12 public, private and charter school clients, as well as colleges and universities. She is committed to providing clients with practical and thoughtful legal advice that meets their needs. 

Ayanna provides day-to-day counseling and represents school clients in adversarial proceedings before administrative agencies and in state courts. She has extensive experience in various matters that impact the operations of schools, including student discipline; special education and disability related issues; student residency and homelessness; Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act; mandatory reporting; Freedom of Information Law; school board governance; school district contracts; policy development, school district elections and employee discipline.

Ayanna also counsels clients on labor and employment law matters, including employment discrimination and workplace harassment. She often conducts investigations regarding employee and student complaints of discrimination and harassment, including racial discrimination, gender discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination and sexual harassment. 

Prior to joining Bond, Ayanna interned at a school district’s in-house legal department and a labor and employment law firm.

  • Listed in:
    • The Best Lawyers in American®: Ones to Watch, Education Law, 2021-2024
    • New York Metro Super Lawyers® Rising Star, Schools & Education, 2023
  • New York State Bar Association
  • New York City Bar Association
  • New York City Bar Diversity Fellow
  • Associate Managing Editor, St. John's Journal of Civil Rights & Economic Development

  • An Interview with Ayanna Thomas, School Law, Legally Bond Podcast, August 30, 2021
  • Be in the Know: Legal Requirements to Safeguard Student Data, New York City Charter School Center Webinar, May 20, 2020
  • Smart Social Media Policies for Students and Staff, New York City Charter School Center, March 4, 2019

  • Argus Community, Inc., Board Member