It can take years for sexual abuse survivors to come forward and seek justice for what happened to them. This can be a painful and difficult process. Meirowitz & Wasserberg have years of experience litigating New York sexual abuse cases, and we always handle each situation with care and respect.
Survivors continue to file New York sexual abuse lawsuits. Our firm can help you learn about your legal options.
How New York Law Protects Sexual Abuse Survivors
New York has several laws that protect sexual abuse survivors, including the New York City Gender-Motivated Violence Act (GMVA), the Child Victims Act and the Adult Survivors Act. These laws create lookback windows that extend filing deadlines. They allow survivors to seek justice against their abusers even if the abuse occurred years ago.
As of June 2026, the only law with an active lookback window is the GMVA, which closes on July 29, 2027.
These laws recognize that it can take years for people to process the trauma they experienced, so they were written with survivors in mind. To understand if you qualify to file a lawsuit, contact an experienced and compassionate lawyer New York sexual abuse attorney at Meirowitz & Wasserberg. We can help you understand your rights.
New York City’s Gender-Motivated Violence Act (GMVA)
NYC’s GMVA law took effect in January 2026. It allows sexual abuse survivors to sue institutions, not just individual abusers. Some survivors who filed between 2023 and 2025 had their cases dismissed because certain juvenile detention centers could not be held accountable under previous laws.
The lookback window started on January 29, 2026, and will close on July 29, 2027. This allows people to file lawsuits even if the abuse occurred decades ago. It also means that if your claim was dismissed between 2023 and 2025, the 2026 amendment may allow you to refile.
The GMVA filing window closes July 29, 2027. If you were abused at a New York City juvenile detention center, this deadline applies to your case. Contact Meirowitz & Wasserberg today for a free consultation.
The Child Victims Act (CVA)
The Child Victims Act gives survivors of child sexual abuse more time to file civil lawsuits. It opened a one-year window, beginning August 14, 2019, to file claims that were previously time-barred. Survivors could pursue legal claims against individuals, organizations that employed alleged perpetrators at the time of the abuse and any other parties that may have been responsible.
While the lookback window has expired, the Act also changed the deadlines for civil claims. Previously, the clock started ticking when a survivor turned 18, and the statute of limitations ranged from one to five years. Now, New York allows survivors of child sexual abuse to file a claim until they reach 55 years of age.
Under this Act, survivors of child abuse perpetrated by individuals and/or institutions may qualify to file a lawsuit.
The Adult Survivors Act (ASA)
Similar to the Child Victims Act, the Adult Survivors Act extended the deadline to file civil lawsuits for adult survivors of sexual abuse. The Governor signed the ASA into law on May 24, 2022.
In 2019, New York extended the limit to file a claim to 20 years. However, some survivors still had their claims time-barred. To address this, the ASA added a one-year lookback window that began six months after the law’s signing. It expired on November 23, 2023.
Under this Act, adult survivors of abuse perpetrated by individuals and/or institutions may qualify to file a New York lawsuit. This includes workplace, institutional or other types of abuse.
Who Can File a Sexual Abuse Lawsuit in New York?
Any survivor may file a lawsuit in New York to hold both individual abusers and institutions liable. Abuse may include childhood sexual abuse, adult sexual assault or institutional abuse.
Types of Sexual Abuse Cases We Handle
Meirowitz & Wasserberg handles several types of sexual abuse cases on behalf of adult survivors and parents of child survivors.
Types of cases that Meirowitz & Wasserberg can help with include:
- Childhood sexual abuse (historical and recent)
- Adult sexual assault and harassment
- Institutional abuse that happened at schools, universities, religious organizations, medical facilities, youth programs or juvenile detention centers.
Only a licensed attorney can determine if you qualify to file a lawsuit against your abuser. Call us for a free confidential case review.
Who Can Be Held Liable
You can hold individuals, institutions and employers liable in civil court, even if there are no criminal charges. If there are criminal charges, these often don’t include compensation for your damages.
Lawsuits against institutions typically claim that the defendant failed to report abuse or didn’t properly supervise employees. Cases against employers can be for sexual harassment or assault.
GET A FREE CASE REVIEWSexual Abuse in NYC Schools, Camps and Institutions
New York has seen cases of sexual abuse across multiple settings and institutions. These include schools, camps, churches, medical facilities and juvenile detention centers.
School, Childcare and Coach Sexual Abuse
Children are supposed to be safe at New York schools and childcare facilities, but that isn’t always the case. Verified reports of sexual misconduct by school employees, vendors and coaches are on the rise in NYC, according to a 2026 CBS report. The city’s Department of Education (DOE) substantiated 43 cases of sexual misconduct by a school employee or vendor in 2023. In 2025, that number jumped to 62.
Not all cases of abuse are reported. Sometimes a survivor is too afraid to come forward, or a school fails to report the incident. In New York, Article 23-B of the Education Law mandates school officials— including teachers, school nurses, administrators, counselors and coaches — to report any reasonable suspicion of child abuse. Childcare workers are also mandated to report any abuse to the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR).
Any mandated reporter who fails to report abuse may face criminal charges and can be sued for damages in civil court. If you or your child experienced sexual abuse at an NYC school or childcare facility, a school sexual abuse lawyer at Meirowitz & Wasserberg can help you pursue accountability. We represent both former students and parents of current students.
University and Campus Sexual Abuse
In New York, special laws are in place to protect university students from sexual abuse. Violations of these laws can expose the school to civil liability. The state legislature passed NYS Education Law Article 129-B in 2015. It’s more commonly known as Enough Is Enough.
The Enough is Enough law requires all colleges and universities in New York to establish prevention programs, policies and response procedures for incidents such as sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. The schools also have to submit data to the New York State Department of Education on incidents of sexual violence.
Under the federal law Title IX, New York schools that receive federal funding have to respond to reports of sexual harassment and assault. If they fail to respond, they can be held liable.
A Meirowitz & Wasserberg lawyer can help current and former students who survived sexual abuse at a New York university or college.
Camp and Youth Program Abuse
Abuse can happen at summer camps, religious camps or youth programs. New York Social Services Law section 413 requires that camp or youth program directors report any incidents of sexual abuse.
Failure to report instances of sexual abuse could make the organization in charge of the camp liable for the abuse. In one criminal case, a Long Island man had been a camp counselor for 33 years before he was arrested for sexually abusing five children under 11. The perpetrator was also a teacher in Nassau County.
Survivors can contact a lawyer at Meirowitz & Wasserberg for a free consultation and case review.
Church Abuse
Despite thousands of credible allegations of sexual abuse against priests, the Catholic Church has continued to protect these individuals from prosecution. Sadly, they are not the only ones. There have been reports of sexual abuse by clergy, volunteers and missionaries, with subsequent shielding of perpetrators in several protestant denominations.
The New York Catholic Archdiocese agreed to pay $800 million to settle with about 1,300 survivors in May 2026. It’s one of the largest payouts in a growing number of lawsuits over church sex abuse in the U.S.
New York’s lookback laws allowed some survivors to file lawsuits against the Catholic Church for decades-old sexual abuse that were previously time-barred.
Rideshare Abuse
Rideshare abuse lawsuits claim that Uber and Lyft didn’t do enough to provide safe conditions for their passengers, and thousands of people have filed cases. Lawsuits claim companies knew about the sexual abuse but failed to implement safety measures.
In January 2026, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli called on Uber to publish a report explaining how it is addressing incidents of rider sexual harassment.
Therapist and Healthcare Provider Abuse
In New York, therapists and healthcare providers are governed by laws and ethical codes. Sexual harassment is taken seriously. It can result in charges of professional misconduct, ethical violations and assault.
If hospitals and other employers fail to report abuse or ignore complaints of abuse, they can also be held liable. For example, Columbia University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital agreed to a $750 million settlement in 2025 with hundreds of former patients of gynecologist Robert Hadden. He was convicted and sentenced for multiple sex crimes.
A March 2026 ProPublica report detailed the “culture of silence” that allowed Hadden to abuse more than 1,000 individuals. More than a dozen patient reports had been lost or ignored. The lawsuits alleged Hadden’s employers knew about and covered up his abuses.
Juvenile Detention Center Abuse
Hundreds of sexual abuse survivors at juvenile detention centers filed lawsuits against NYC-run facilities. Plaintiffs claim these centers encouraged a culture of abuse, hid evidence and failed to protect minors from staff for decades.
Key centers named in lawsuits include Horizon Juvenile Center, Crossroads Juvenile Center, Spofford Juvenile Center (also known as Bridges), Rikers Island, Brentwood Residential Center for Girls and Brookwood Secure Center.
The Meirowitz & Wasserberg firm represents survivors of sexual abuse at New York juvenile detention centers. The GMVA filing window is open through July 29, 2027, and could allow survivors with previously barred lawsuits to refile their cases. We provide free and confidential consultations.
What a New York Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Can Recover
New York sexual abuse lawsuits can recover financial damages, such as medical or therapy costs, as well as non-monetary damages, such as pain and suffering or emotional trauma. Many cases often have criminal charges. Regardless of whether there are criminal charges or not, you can file a civil claim for compensation. A civil claim could also result in punitive damages for the defendant’s unlawful actions.
Damages you can recover include:
- Medical and therapy costs
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages in some cases. These are damages that a jury awards when a defendant acted with malice or was extremely negligent.
Recent settlements include a 2026 church abuse settlement and a 2025 hospital settlement.
In May 2026, the Catholic Archdiocese of New York agreed to pay $800 million to settle with about 1,300 survivors. It’s one of the largest payouts in a growing number of lawsuits over clergy sex abuse in the U.S.
In 2025, Columbia University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital agreed to a $750 million settlement with hundreds of former patients of gynecologist Robert Hadden. He was accused of sexually abusing over 1,000 patients over the course of his 25-year career.
Every case is different. Only a lawyer can tell you what type of settlement you might be able to expect.
How Meirowitz & Wasserberg Handles Sexual Abuse Cases
Meirowitz & Wasserberg is dedicated to advocating for sexual abuse survivors. Our dedication and compassion have helped us win millions of dollars on behalf of our clients, including confidential settlements for survivors of abuse by teachers and coaches.
Meirowitz & Wasserberg handles sexual abuse cases with:
- A confidential, survivor-centered process focused on understanding your experience and handling it with compassion and respect.
- A contingency fee structure that means there’s no cost unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
- Experience in cases filed under the Child Victims Act, Adults Survivors Act and NYC’s GMVA law, along with recent assault cases.
- Local experience in state courts and courts in all five boroughs of NYC.
- A proven track record of winning settlements in sexual abuse cases.
A monetary award can’t reverse a survivor’s trauma, but it can go a long way toward improving their future. It can pay for ongoing therapy to help a child or adult survivor recover from this terrible wrongdoing. Let us put our experience to work for you, and we’ll fight to get the maximum compensation allowed under New York law.
Get Your Free Case EvaluationFrequently Asked Questions About New York Sexual Abuse Lawsuits
How long do I have to file a sexual abuse lawsuit in New York?
In 2019, New York law was amended to allow child survivors of abuse to file a lawsuit until they turn 55 years of age. The time limit for adult survivors was also extended to 20 years. Depending on your claim, these time limits may or may not apply to you, so you should speak to an attorney about your specific situation.
Can I sue a school or institution, not just the individual abuser?
Yes. You can sue a school or institution if they failed to report or prevent the abuse under New York law, didn’t properly supervise their employees (negligent supervision) or concealed the abuse.
What if the abuse happened decades ago?
If the abuse happened decades ago, you may still be able to file a lawsuit under NYC’s GMVA law that took effect in January 2026. It gives survivors a lookback window that allows you to sue institutions regardless of when the abuse occurred. This window closes on July 29, 2027, so you need to talk to an attorney right away to preserve your right to file.
Can I file anonymously?
Yes. In 2019, a New York State Supreme Court Judge ruled that survivors pursuing lawsuits under the state Child Victims Act can remain anonymous during litigation. Tell your lawyer about your wish to remain anonymous, and they can handle this for you.
How much does it cost to hire a sexual abuse lawyer in New York?
There’s usually no upfront cost to hire a lawyer for a sexual abuse case. Sexual abuse lawyers in New York work on a contingency fee basis, so they don’t get paid unless they recover for you.
What evidence do I need?
You don’t need physical evidence of the abuse. Therapist records, journals and testimony can be used instead. Your lawyer can tell you exactly what evidence you will need for your specific case.
About The Author
Samuel Meirowitz
Founding Partner
Samuel Meirowitz, a founding partner of Meirowitz & Wasserberg, has been recognized by New York Metro Super Lawyers annually since 2016. A Cardozo School of Law graduate and former prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorney's Office, he won the first multimillion-dollar asbestos verdict in a New York federal court in over 20 years.
