• Airbnb Will Not Enforce Arbitration Clause September 28, 2021 Airbnb Sexual Assaults Airbnb recently announced it will no longer enforce the mandatory arbitration clause in its terms of service for claims of sexual assault and harassment. Previously, in order to register on the site, users had to agree to the terms of service which was over 40 pages long. click to read more
• Airbnb Spends Millions to Keep Sexual Assault Allegations Out of Public Eye September 15, 2021 Airbnb Sexual Assaults A recent report by Bloomberg stated the shocking news that Airbnb, the online marketplace for lodging and rentals, receives thousands of sexual assault allegations every year from both guests and hosts, but the public only becomes aware of very few of them. click to read more
• Airbnb Pays Rape Victim $7 Million September 14, 2021 Airbnb Sexual Assaults Airbnb paid an Australian woman, who was raped in a property rented via the site, $7 million as a settlement. The attack occurred in 2015 on New Year’s Eve in New York City. The victim and her friends picked up the keys to the property at a bodega near the… click to read more
• Boy Scouts of America Agrees to $850 Million Settlement for Child Sex Abuse Victims August 16, 2021 Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits After lawyers for sex abuse victims argued that the original offer from the Boy Scouts to settle child sex abuse claims was too low, the parties announced on July 1, 2021 that they reached an agreement. click to read more
• Kentucky Governor Signs New Child Abuse Bills into Law but State Still Falls Short August 12, 2021 Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits In April of 2021, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed House Bill 254 into law which enhances the penalties against predators who possess, view or distribute sexually exploitive material of a child younger than 12, making it a Class C felony and raising it to a Class B felony for subsequent… click to read more
• Iowa Governor Signs Bill to Remove the Criminal SOL for Child Sex Abuse Victims August 11, 2021 Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits In May, Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa, signed Senate File 562 into law which removes the criminal statute of limitations for sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor. Previously the law required that criminal charges be filed within 15 years of the victim turning 18, or age 33. click to read more
• Louisiana Legislature Passes Bill Providing Victims of Sexual Abuse Relief from Filing Deadlines August 10, 2021 Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits Following overwhelming support and being passed by the Louisiana Legislative Committee in May , the Louisiana Senate unanimously voted, 32-0, to remove the statute of limitations for child sex abuse victims to pursue civil claims in court. In addition, the passage of House Bill 492, also opens a 3-year revival… click to read more
• Maine Passes Child Sexual Abuse SOL Reform July 20, 2021 Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits Maine Governor Janet Mills recently signed into law a bill that will allow survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits against their perpetrators no matter how long ago the abuse occurred. While the state did eliminate the state of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims in 2000, that… click to read more
• Diocese of Springfield Releases Updated Credibly Accused List June 30, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse The Diocese of Springfield recently released an updated list of church officials and employees who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. Bishop William Byrne said the new list is part of his commitment to “transparency and healing.” There are 61 names on the list, 21 more than the previous… click to read more
• Governor Signs Bill Eliminating Statute of Limitations for Childhood Sex Abuse Survivors June 21, 2021 Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 73 into law in April 2021 which eliminates the civil statute of limitations for sexual assault of minors and adults. One of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, said of the new law, “Victims deserve justice whenever they choose to seek it.… click to read more
• Statute of Limitations Bill Stalled in PA Legislature June 17, 2021 Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits Pressure to change existing statute of limitations laws for survivors of sexual abuse began to emerge from the public after a 2018 grand jury report from the state’s Attorney General shed light on just how deep the Catholic Church’s cover-up of child sexual abuse ran in Pennsylvania. Three years later,… click to read more
• Kansas Bureau of Investigation Opens over 100 Sexual Abuse Cases Against Dioceses June 9, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Two years after launching an investigation into child sexual abuse claims against the state’s Catholic dioceses, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation has opened 120 cases and received 205 reports of clergy sexual abuse. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt requested the Bureau investigate reports of sexual abuse by clergy in the… click to read more
• Kansas Court of Appeals Rules Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Can Move Forward June 2, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse A ruling by the Kansas Court of Appeals holding that negligence claims against institutions are not barred by the statute of limitations will allow a sexual abuse lawsuit filed against the Archdiocese of Kansas City to move forward click to read more
• Diocese of Oakland Priest Accused of Raping Boy Decades Ago May 28, 2021 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse A recent lawsuit filed against the Diocese of Oakland accuses deceased priest Monsignor John T. McCracken of raping a young boy on multiple occasions between 1972 and 1974. It is the first time McCracken has been accused of sexual abuse of a child and his name is not on the… click to read more
• Older Survivors of Sexual Abuse Will Have to Wait for Statute Changes May 26, 2021 Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits Connecticut’s current civil statute of limitations law (SOL) for childhood sexual abuse leaves older victims of abuse without an avenue to pursue justice because their claims are time-barred by the law. Unfortunately, those survivors will have to wait at least another year to see if any impactful changes will be… click to read more