The recent settlement reached by the Darlington School and 20 survivors of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of Roger Stifflemire, a former teacher and dorm parent at the school, provided compensation and some closure to the survivors and their families. The settlement also confirmed Penn Law’s continued commitment to be a voice for victims. 

This case is one of the many we have worked on in recent years that has strengthened our resolve to change the laws in Georgia. Not only must we have policies in place to protect children, but we must also have legislation that allows survivors a chance to legally confront their abusers and hold entities accountable.

At Penn Law, we have been working with Georgia legislators to pass the Child Victim Protection Act (HB 109). The bill would allow survivors of childhood sexual abuse to recover damages if the abuse took place on or after July 1, 2015. The proposed bill has several stipulations including: 

The plaintiff must be under 23 years old or sue for damages within four years from the date the plaintiff knew the suffered injuries resulting from the abuse

A plaintiff who is between 23 and 38 years old may bring civil action for recovery of damages sufferers as a sresult of childhood esual abuse

The civil action may be against a public or private organzation or the individual alleged to have committed the act of childhood sexual abuse at any time during a one-year window

This legislation is needed to allow victims of these crimes to sue their accuser(s) and the organizations that failed to protect them. Georgia is one of the last states in the U.S. to provide protection to victims of childhood sexual abuse. No new bill to protect the survivors has been passed since 2015 although many bills have been introduced to the Georgia legislature. 

In the 2022 Georgia legislative session, we will continue to advocate for legislation that protects survivors of childhood sexual abuse. 

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