FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2019
WHAT: Attorneys representing victims of (alleged) child sexual
abuse in New York public schools today announced the filing of the first of
many lawsuits under the New York Child Victims Act.
The New York Child Victims Act was signed into law by
Governor Andrew Cuomo February 14, 2019. It opens up a one-year window to allow
all victims access to the courts regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred.
That one-year period begins on August 14, 2019.
In a lawsuit to be filed against the Wellsville Central School District in Allegany
County, Plaintiff Joanne Schoonmaker alleges rape by a man who was employed as a janitor at the Wellsville Middle School / High
School attended by Ms. Schoonmaker. From the time Ms. Schoonmaker was 12 or
13-years old the staffer allegedly began sexually abusing her on and off school
grounds.
It is unclear when the alleged abuse was reported in Wellsville. Wellsville Regional News has reached out to attorneys for clarification.
It is unclear when the alleged abuse was reported in Wellsville. Wellsville Regional News has reached out to attorneys for clarification.
In a lawsuit to be filed against the New York City District
#17 and New York Department of Education, Plaintiff Auset Love alleges that she
was physically and sexually abused by her teacher, Mr. Pamphile, beginning in
the fourth grade when she was nine years old.
WHO:
Auset Love, Child Sexual Abuse Survivor
Joanne Schoonmaker, Child Sexual Abuse Survivor
Larry Krantz, Attorney - Krantz and Berman
Sarah Klein, Attorney and Victim’s Advocate – Dalton &
Associates
Saul Wolf, Attorney- Manly, Stewart & Finaldi
WHEN:
Wednesday, August 14 at 1:30 p.m.
WHERE:
New York Department of Education Headquarters
Tweed Courthouse (In front by the Courthouse steps
52 Chambers St, New York, NY 10007
A group of prominent attorneys and their clients will hold a
news conference in front of the New York City Department of Education
headquarters to announce the filing of the first lawsuits against public
schools throughout the State of New York under the newly enacted Child Victims
Act.
The attorneys and their clients also called upon all New York
public schools and school districts to follow the lead of the Archdiocese of
New York who released a list of 120 clergy who it said have been “credibly
accused” of sexually abusing a minor, possessing child pornography or whose
actions led to related paid compensation claims.
The attorneys represented plaintiffs in the $140,000,000
settlement against Los Angeles Unified School District in the Miramonte case,
the largest child sex abuse settlement against a School District in the US.
They have recovered more than half a billion dollars on behalf of victims of
child sexual abuse in public schools.
The firm currently represents more than 180 alleged victims of former
Michigan State University and U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Olympic Team doctor Larry
Nassar. Michigan State University has settled this case for $500,000,000, this
is the largest settlement of any personal injury case against a University.
