New York City is temporarily suspending many sexual abuse lawsuits against the city, pending a new bill aimed at giving victims more clarity and accountability. The delay is intended to allow lawmakers to iron out details in the legislation, which would create a "lookback" window for survivors to sue even if the statute of limitations has expired.
Under the current law, cases filed during this period are vulnerable to being dismissed due to ambiguity surrounding its application. However, advocates argue that victims have already waited long enough and are ready for resolution.
The proposed bill would reopen the lookback window from March 1, 2026, allowing survivors to file new suits for incidents before 2022. The city's Law Department will pause action on hundreds of cases pending the passage of this legislation.
Critics argue that the delay is unacceptable, particularly given the broad support for the bill among City Council members. Attorney Jerome Block represents hundreds of survivors who claim they were sexually abused in New York City juvenile detention centers and has called for swift action on the bill.
"Their wait is a difficult position... It's not fair to these hundreds of survivors," he said.
Lawmakers are taking a "deliberate approach" to negotiate the bill with stakeholders, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams' spokesperson Julia Agos explained. The pause will ensure that survivors won't have their cases dismissed while negotiations proceed on changing the law.
The new bill's sponsor, Selvena Brooks-Powers, hopes to bring it to a vote soon and provide clarity for survivors before the end of the year. However, attorneys representing clients in similar cases disagree, saying they've waited long enough for resolution.
"This is not a good time to make excuses... We need this law passed," attorney Jordan Merson said.
A review by the city's Office of Management and Budget estimates that the new bill could cost the city $1 billion if passed. Negotiations are underway to create a settlement fund, which would allow survivors to attain accountability without fighting their cases in court.
Under the current law, cases filed during this period are vulnerable to being dismissed due to ambiguity surrounding its application. However, advocates argue that victims have already waited long enough and are ready for resolution.
The proposed bill would reopen the lookback window from March 1, 2026, allowing survivors to file new suits for incidents before 2022. The city's Law Department will pause action on hundreds of cases pending the passage of this legislation.
Critics argue that the delay is unacceptable, particularly given the broad support for the bill among City Council members. Attorney Jerome Block represents hundreds of survivors who claim they were sexually abused in New York City juvenile detention centers and has called for swift action on the bill.
"Their wait is a difficult position... It's not fair to these hundreds of survivors," he said.
Lawmakers are taking a "deliberate approach" to negotiate the bill with stakeholders, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams' spokesperson Julia Agos explained. The pause will ensure that survivors won't have their cases dismissed while negotiations proceed on changing the law.
The new bill's sponsor, Selvena Brooks-Powers, hopes to bring it to a vote soon and provide clarity for survivors before the end of the year. However, attorneys representing clients in similar cases disagree, saying they've waited long enough for resolution.
"This is not a good time to make excuses... We need this law passed," attorney Jordan Merson said.
A review by the city's Office of Management and Budget estimates that the new bill could cost the city $1 billion if passed. Negotiations are underway to create a settlement fund, which would allow survivors to attain accountability without fighting their cases in court.
They've had to wait for so long already and now they're being told to be patient again 
It's just not fair. The city's Law Department should be doing more to help them, not putting their cases on hold 
A "lookback" window is a good idea, but it's about time we got some real progress here 
I hope lawmakers can get this bill passed soon and provide some closure for these survivors. It's estimated that the cost will be $1 billion, but I think it's worth it to help people heal 
The fact that the city is suspending lawsuits against them is kinda messed up 
. I mean, victims have already waited long enough and they deserve some answers 
. It's not like they're asking for much, just clarity on what happened to them and how it's going to be fixed 
. It'd be better if they were moving forward with the bill ASAP 
.
... like, I get it, laws need to be ironed out and all that but hundreds of people have been waiting for resolution on these cases for ages 
. And now we're just gonna put them on hold again until the end of the year? 
. And btw, $1 billion settlement fund sounds like a nice chunk change... hope it goes to those who need it most 
.
. The proposed bill is a good start, but let's hope they can iron out the details ASAP and actually pass it this year 
. I mean, can't we just pass this bill and get on with it? The fact that hundreds of survivors have been waiting is heartbreaking 
This whole situation is super frustrating for all parties involved. The delay might seem like a good idea, but it's just giving survivors another year of uncertainty and stress 
. I get that negotiations are underway, but this feels like a massive cop-out.
. Survivors have already been waiting for what feels like an eternity for justice, and it's just not fair that they have to wait even longer 
. And $1 billion is a pretty hefty price tag for a settlement fund 
they're already suffering enough and now they gotta deal with this ambiguity that's gonna make it even harder for them to get justice I'm literally shaking thinking about how hard this must be for them... my cousin's sister was a victim of abuse in the system and it broke her so much she can't even look at herself in the mirror 
. The fact that attorneys are saying survivors have waited long enough for resolution makes me so angry 
. We need real action, not just empty promises. And $1 billion for a settlement fund? That's just peanuts 
this is so messed up. victims of sexual abuse waiting years for justice and now you're saying they gotta wait even longer because we need to "negotiate" with stakeholders? come on 
. survivors have already been through enough trauma, do we really need to make them wait some more? 
this is just another example of how system can delay justice... thousands of people have already waited for years and are still waiting... the bill might bring some clarity but it's not enough 
. I mean, think about it - if they've already waited years, shouldn't we be doing more to help them now? 
. Can't we just agree on something already? 