By Brian O’Leary “Ex-Saugerties High wrestling coach charged with 18 counts of rape.” I woke up the other day with a text from a friend who highlighted an article in the local newspaper which had the above headline. The school had hired a 30-year-old man to teach...
Blog
When Justice Is Denied: How Maryland’s Charitable Immunity Law Blocks Survivors of Clergy Abuse
Marci A. Hamilton, Founder & CVO, CHILD USARobert K. Jenner, Jenner Law, P.C. On July 21, 2025, a Maryland court ruled that an adult survivor of horrific childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a Catholic priest could not sue the Archdiocese of Washington, DC. The...
AND THE BEAT GOES ON in the Catholic ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO
By Tim Stier The Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco is in the midst of federal bankruptcy negotiations with over five hundred alleged sexual abuse victims. A primary motivation of Archbishop Cordileone for choosing bankruptcy over civil trials is to hide the...
Maine Supreme Court Blocks Justice for Survivors, Strikes Down Revival Window
In 2021, the Maine State Legislature passed a landmark law creating a permanent revival window for previously expired child sex abuse (CSA), child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and trafficking claims. This law removed procedural barriers that had long prevented...
Landmark Rulings in North Carolina and Maryland Affirm Access to Justice for Survivors
Last week, I wrote about the deeply disappointing decision from the Maine Supreme Court striking down the state’s revival window for child sex abuse (CSA) claims. Since then, the Arkansas Court of Appeals also ruled that their 2021 revival window could not be applied...
Watching the Clock in California
Leslie C. Griffin* Do you remember Roman Polanski? Polanski, now 91 years old, is a famous movie director and actor, known, especially, for directing the films Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown. He left the United States for France in 1978, after he pled guilty to having...
Settling Sex Abuse Cases Against Catholic California Clergymen
Leslie C. Griffin* Roman Polanski is a famous movie director and actor, known for directing the films Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown. He left the United States for France in 1978, after he pled guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl, Samantha Geimer. He worried...
Has Maine Fought Catholic Sex Abuse?
by Leslie C. Griffin* I am waiting for the Maine Supreme Court to decide a case about sexual abuse and the statute of limitations [SOL].1 Statutes of limitations are rules that explain when the courts are open or closed to victims of abuse. I am particularly...
The History of Catholic Abuse in Maine
by Leslie C. Griffin* The abuse of children by Catholic clergy has a long history in the State of Maine. The Beginning Some initial news about Catholic Maine abuse was released when the Maine Supreme Court ordered it. In Blethen Maine Newspapers v. Maine, 871 A.2d 523...
The Maryland Supreme Court Should Find The Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 Constitutional
by Rob Jenner Jenner Law, P.C. Baltimore, Maryland Last month a dedicated team of lawyers presented oral argument before the Maryland Supreme Court in support of the Maryland Child Victims Act (CVA) of 2023. The heart of the legal battle concerned the statutory...