Abuse in School, Camp, Scouts & Other Settings
Every child in America has the right to a good education. We, as parents, trust that the teachers and staff at the schools our children attend have the best interests of our kids in mind. Almost always that is in fact the case. Tragically, however, there are a few educators who have violated this trust and have sexually assaulted children. When that occurs, not only must the teacher be held responsible but also the school if it allowed the abuse to occur. We have settled a number of cases against private, parochial, and public schools and are actively pursuing a case against a public high school.
There are few, if any, crimes more heinous than the sexual abuse of a child. Children are our most precious treasure. When an adult sexually abuses a child, not only does that adult face a long criminal penalty, but that adult may also be held financially responsible for the injuries caused to the child. Under Connecticut law, a person who has been sexually abused as a child has until their 48th birthday to file a claim against their abuser and anyone else who may be responsible. Regardless of whom the attacker is to the child - teacher, counselor, friend, or family - the law in Connecticut allows the victim to hold the offender financially responsible.
Please contact the sexual assault victim attorneys at Tremont & Sheldon to confidentially and sensitively evaluate your case.
Related Results
- Two Roads to Justice for Sexual Abuse Victims
- Tolland Connecticut Doctor Imprisoned on Child Porn Charge - Caught with one of Biggest Child Porn Collections in Connecticut
- Boy Scouts Files Name 22 Connecticut Residents Accused or Convicted of Immoral Acts
- The Similarities Between the Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal and the Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Scandal - Freeh Report on Penn Sate Attached
- Two Roads for Justice for Sexual Abuse Victims
- Ex-Peace Corps Worker From Connecticut To Plead Guilty In Sex Assault Case
- Suit: School Ignored Sex Assault Claims
- Tremont & Sheldon Announces New Blog as a Resource for Sexual Abuse Victims
- Penn State Scandal Hits Nerve
- Penn State Abuse Case Highlights Changes in Media, Legal Attitudes
- Attorney Cindy Robinson on Panel for Connecticut Office of Victim Services
Online Resources - Victim Support Groups for Child Sexual Abuse
- Adult Survivors of Child Abuse – Individual and group support program for adult survivors of physical, sexual, and/or emotional child abuse or neglect.
- Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Inc. – CONNSACS is a statewide coalition of individual sexual assault crisis programs, which work to end sexual violence through victim assistance, community education, and public policy advocacy.
- Wounded Healer – TWHJ is the oldest point of presence on the Web for psychotherapists and others who have experienced the devastation of trauma including child abuse.
- The Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Program – The mission of the SCAN Program is to provide comprehensive medical and psychosocial care in a culturally sensitive manner to children who have experienced acute sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect.
- Yale New Haven Hospital Child Sexual Abuse Program – The Yale Child Abuse Program provides evaluation and treatment of all types of child maltreatment.
Common Questions About Abuse in Schools & Other Settings
You can ask permission from the Court to file your case under a pseudonym (e.g., Jane Doe or John Doe). It is up to the judge to grant or deny your request.
Yes. The two cases can proceed at the same time, but there may be reasons to wait, if possible, until the criminal case has concluded.
Many people know that the burden of proof (or evidence needed to prove the case) in a criminal case is beyond a reasonable doubt. Criminal cases require a very high standard because being found guilty of a crime is at stake as well as the potential to go to jail. In a civil case, no one is accused of a crime and cannot be found guilty. Instead, the question in a civil case is whether a person was negligent and responsible for damages to another. The burden of proof in a civil case, for example a motor vehicle accident, is lower (easier to prove) than in a criminal case. The standard is “more likely than not” the person was at fault or proof of just over 50% to win the case.
Under current Connecticut law, any person who claims damages as a result of being sexually abused, sexually assaulted, or sexually exploited as a child has until 30 years past the age of majority (typically until age 48) in which to file a claim in court. However, if you claim damages as a result of being sexually assaulted as an adult, then you have a much shorter time period in which to file a lawsuit. Typically you have three years from the date of the assault to file against the perpetrator for his or her intentional acts and two years from the date of the assault to file against any other person or entity (e.g., perpetrator's employer) who may have been negligent in allowing the perpetrator to have contact with you.
Under Connecticut law, the following people are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse: doctors, nurses, medical examiners, dentists, dental hygienists, psychologists, coaches, school teachers, school principals, school guidance counselors, school paraprofessionals, social workers, police officers, juvenile or adult probation and /or parole officers, members of the clergy, pharmacists, physical therapists, optometrists, chiropractors, podiatrists, mental health professionals, physician’s assistants, certified EMT providers, certified drug and alcohol counselors, licensed marital and family therapists, sexual assault and/or battered women’s counselors, paid child care providers in public or private facilities, child day care centers, licensed group and /or family day care centers, employees of the Department of Children and Families or the Department of Public Health if responsible for licensing day care centers homes or youth camps or the Office of Child Advocate and the Child Advocate.
Any person so identified who in the course of his or her employment or profession has reasonable cause to believe or suspect that a child has been abused or neglected or has been inflicted with nonaccidental injuries or is at imminent risk of serious harm must report or cause a report to be made in accordance with state law. Violation of the law will result in a monetary fine and required participation in an educational and training program. See Connecticut General Statutes Sections 17-101(b); 17a-101a.
