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Reporting by Stateline’s Amanda Hernández, published in Ohio Capital Journal, says that thousands of individuals are suing Maryland under the Child Victims Act, a 2023 law upheld by the state Supreme Court that removed the previous 20-year statute of limitations for filing lawsuits related to sexual abuse against entities, including schools, religious institutions, and government agencies.
Under the new law, survivors can seek damages from state and local governments up to $890,000 per occurrence of abuse, with a higher cap of $1.5 million for cases involving private institutions.
Since the enactment of the law, over 3,500 lawsuits have been filed against Maryland state agencies, with many plaintiffs alleging abuse at juvenile detention centers. While the state is actively negotiating settlements out of court, at least 29 pending lawsuits representing hundreds more plaintiffs are making their way through Maryland courts.
Maryland isn’t alone; recent years have seen similar lawsuits filed in states including California, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington. Between 2000 and 2015, abuse was documented at juvenile detention facilities in 29 states and the District of Columbia, according to a March 2023 report by criminal justice advocacy group, The Sentencing Project.
Earlier this year, California charged 30 officers at a juvenile facility with child abuse for allegedly orchestrating “gladiator fights” among detainees aged 12 to 18. Additionally, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek recently fired the director of the Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) following scrutiny over mishandled abuse reports and pending litigation from ten men alleging sexual abuse as juveniles. The OYA is facing a $51 million lawsuit in that litigation.
Changes to state laws nationwide have opened the doors for these lawsuits. Child USA, a nonprofit organization, reported that since 2020, over a dozen states have expanded statutes of limitations for child sex abuse lawsuits. Currently, at least 15 states are considering similar legislation.
In Maryland, however, the potential financial impact has caused concern among state legislators. With an estimated additional 4,000 or more claims potentially forthcoming, Maryland officials worry about significant fiscal repercussions. David Romans, a legislative budget analyst, noted that this represents “potentially an enormous liability for the state,” which is already facing a projected $3 billion budget gap for fiscal year 2026.
The Charles H. Hickey Jr. School in Baltimore County faces lawsuits involving abuse allegations from more than 500 former detainees dating back as far as 1960. The facility, which currently houses only boys, asserts staff are trained in trauma-informed care and offers various therapeutic programs.
David Lorenz, Maryland director for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, emphasized that many survivors, particularly those abused by authority figures like correctional officers, remain silent due to fear or shame. “[Survivors] have told me they are taking it to their grave. They’re not going to tell anybody,” Lorenz stated to Stateside.
Michele Deitch, director of the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, echoed concerns about juvenile facility oversight. “There’s just a real lack of transparency about what’s happening inside those facilities,” Deitch explained to Stateside, adding that many detained youths are vulnerable due to prior trauma.
One high-profile case involves allegations against Ronald P. Neverdon, accused of grooming juvenile detainees with gifts and drugs to silence them. Stateline reported that Neverdon, who previously worked as a substitute teacher in Baltimore, has not been criminally charged and could not be reached for comment.
Alexandra Walsh, an attorney handling Maryland abuse cases, described the experiences of victims as “horrific sexual violence,” adding, “This has been dragging on too long.”
Maryland lawmakers are now considering legislative adjustments to manage the financial impact, including proposals to lower damage caps or limit claims to single occurrences rather than each incident of repeated abuse. Democratic Delegate C.T. Wilson, who sponsored the Child Victims Act, introduced but later stalled a bill to limit future claims.
Survivors’ advocate Lorenz acknowledged potential state budget issues but warned lowering compensation caps could send negative signals to survivors. “If they lower the limit, unfortunately, it’s going to send a message to survivors that they’re not worth as much as everybody else,” Lorenz said.
For Charles Hickey School survivor Avery Fauntleroy, the issue is deeper than compensation. “They can’t give me a number that’s going to fix everything,” Fauntleroy said. “Maybe me doing this will make someone else want to speak up.”
