2024 Barbara Blaine Trailblazer Award
New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal
CHILD USA honors New York Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal with the 2024 Barbara Blaine Trailblazer Award, which was established in memory of a remarkable survivor. Barbara Blaine was the groundbreaking founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, with the gracious support of her husband, Prof. Howard Rubin. Barbara was a force of nature who left us too soon.
Senator Hoylman-Sigal’s work as a grassroots activist has not only led to the successful passage of over 200 bills in the Senate but has also been instrumental in bringing about profound change in our community. His passionate advocacy for progressive reforms, such as the Child Victims Act and Adult Survivors Act, has given survivors a voice and sparked a much-needed revolution.
Many politicians have been reluctant to champion the cause of justice for victims of child sexual abuse. New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal is not one of them, having worked relentlessly toward this goal in his state since his election in 2012.
CHILD USA’s Founder and CEO, Marci Hamilton, began working on New York’s Child Victim’s Act in 2003. This was an uphill battle until Sen. Hoylman-Sigal led the way to passage in 2019. His quest to secure justice and to do more for victims eventually led to the CVA, which granted abused individuals two years to file lawsuits against their abusers and organizations that protected them. CHILD USA’s research concluded that over 10,000 victims were able to seek justice.
Hoylman-Sigal also sponsored New York’s Adult Survivor’s Act, which was drafted by CHILD USA and made it possible for survivors to seek justice through civil courts, even if the abuse occurred years in the past. During the year this “lookback window” was open, over 3,000 suits were filed, making it clear there is more work to be done. The lawsuit by E. Jean Carroll was made possible by the ASA.
Several factors propelled him forward. As a freshman state senator, he was urged by his predecessor, Senator Tom Duane, to take up legislation Duane had already been working on. Hoylman-Sigal found himself attending a forum on child sexual abuse (CSA) and statutes of limitations (SOLs) at Fordham University Law School, where CHILD USA Founder and CEO Professor Marci Hamilton was a presenter.
“It turned out to be a fateful and fruitful trip,” Hoylman-Sigal says. “Professor Hamilton and I were on the same channel, and she was a great source of information. I had to educate myself pretty quickly about SOLs in New York, and learn to understand that children don’t have the wherewithal to pursue legal action – confront their abuser, find an attorney, speak openly about their trauma, and file a claim before 25 years of age in most cases. The inequities in the laws were breathtaking!”
As CHILD USA’s research on delayed disclosures shows, survivors rarely come forward quickly, he says. Abusers are often trusted members of the victim’s community – a priest, teacher, or coach backed by powerful organizations, or even a trusted family member. “That’s a lot to ask of a young person, not to mention the added stress and confusion that most likely come with being abused. Trauma takes time to surface,” he adds, “and five years or less is simply not long enough.” Recognizing the inequities of the situation was the second major realization that informed his work in this arena.
“So many constituents, dozens upon dozens of them, who asked me to proceed and shared their stories was a third reason” to take up the fight, Hoylman-Sigal says. “Thank God I have no personal experience with CSA. However, something that Professor Hamilton reiterates is that this legislation is not only about survivors, but also public safety.” He recalls a constituent who detailed being abused by a high school coach. That coach is still working at the school the victim attended, free to abuse other young people. He thanks survivors for alerting authorities and helping them understand the scope of the issue.
“And finally, when Democrats won the majority, I had a platform,” Hoylman-Sigal says. “As chair of the judiciary committee, it ultimately was my responsibility to move the legislation through my committee and get it onto the floor for consideration.” It was also helpful that the film “Spotlight” was released – loosely based on a series of stories by the Boston Globe’s investigation into the coverup of widespread child sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests. “I showed this film in Albany, and it launched a whole discussion in the public sphere,” he says, noting that many institutions, not just the church, have been complicit.”
Asked why so many of the political class are reluctant to emulate his tenacity, he says he believes “it’s deep-seated allegiance to powerful institutions like churches, synagogues, schools and other entities that are pillars of our communities. Insurance companies, one of New York’s home-grown industries, has interest in the outcome, he adds. “A lot of money was and is at stake when you’re pulling back the curtain on something as American and highly admired as the church.
Hoylman-Sigal knows there is more work to be done, and specifically would like to see no SOLs at all. “Who are we protecting?” he asks. He strongly supports this position, and has a bill drafted now that would remove SOLs altogether, which CHILD USA supports. “Whether it’s reopening the window or making it permanent, equal justice must be served. Communities of color, some of whose members are currently incarcerated, have not been proportionately represented; women of color have borne the brunt of CSA in an adult context. Many members of the LGBTQ community are preyed upon as young people.”
“CHILD USA, for me, is the information hub and intellectual resource for lawmakers,” Hoylman-Sigal says. “It’s a think tank for survivor advocacy, and the comparative studies, the state-by-state analyses – they give me my talking points for discussions with colleagues. Having an online-resource toward which to direct colleagues for current information, adding credibility and confirmation of what we heard from constituents is invaluable!
“I am honored and humbled to receive this award, which really represents decades of advocacy by and for survivors who weren’t believed,” he adds. “None of it would have been possible without the courage of survivors who stepped up and compelled us forward to accomplish the most rewarding thing I have ever done in office.”