Brown, Goldstein & Levy partner Andy Freeman was recently interviewed by The Daily Record about the ongoing fight for justice for survivors of child sexual abuse who are suing the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) for the abuse they endured in DJS’s custody.
One of BGL’s clients, who filed suit earlier this year as John Doe, was first taken into DJS custody in the late 1990s at age 10 and spent most of the rest of his childhood at six different detention centers and group homes, even though his charges were non-violent misdemeanors for which no period of detention should have been imposed. As described in the article and in Mr. Doe’s lawsuit, at each facility, older kids and staff members took advantage of him because he was smaller than everyone else. At four of those six facilities, he was raped nearly every night by fellow juvenile detainees, yet no staff did anything to investigate or discipline his abusers.
“The conditions in the vast majority of juvenile detention facilities were appalling for decades,” Andy said to the publication. “The state knew they were appalling for decades.”
As an adult, Mr. Doe has dealt with PTSD, anxiety, schizophrenia, depression, and addiction. He has relied on therapy and mental health medications for years. As described in his complaint, “extreme trust issues and paranoia” prevent him from developing relationships, “such that he feels he will never be able to marry or have children.”
“Though Mr. Doe has been sober for five years and is able to take care of himself, the memories of his abuse continue to haunt him,” Andy continued.
More than 10,000 survivors of abuse are currently suing DJS, which is facing more abuse lawsuits than any other state agency.
When the Child Victims Act (CVA) went into effect in 2023, it gave survivors of child sexual abuse a legal right to seek monetary damages from their abusers and the people or entities that enabled the abuse, regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred.
The article describes estimates that the State’s liability could be over $1 billion and discusses how settlement discussions between the State and attorneys for survivors in early 2025 fizzled out. Andy, who represents two dozen other survivors in addition to Mr. Doe suing DJS, said settlement talks may become more serious after the first few cases go to trial and juries determine the state’s liability and large jury verdicts put more pressure on the state.
“The idea is to have a handful of cases that are representative of what the others will look like,” Andy told The Daily Record. “It gives both sides an idea of what those cases are worth.”
LEARN MORE ABOUT ANDY FREEMAN
Andy Freeman obtains justice for his clients. He has won numerous verdicts, judgments, and settlements of millions, tens of millions, and in one case over a billion dollars by mastering the relevant law and getting to know his clients, their problems, and the evidence in their cases. In one case, Andy won a verdict of $15 million for a survivor of child sexual abuse. In another trial, he secured a $1 million verdict in a counter-suit on behalf of a girl who was sexually abused by a lawyer, after the lawyer-abuser sued for defamation—a result that was recognized by the National Law Journal as one of the “Top Wins of 2000.” Andy has long been a tenacious advocate for the wellbeing of children, both inside and outside of court. He has served as a board member and board president of the Family Tree (formerly the Child Abuse Prevention Center of Maryland) and of the Family League of Baltimore City, and as a board member for Safe and Sound: Baltimore’s Campaign for Children, Youth and Families. Andy was also a volunteer with the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Baltimore, a nonprofit that fights for the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in Baltimore’s foster care system, which awarded him multiple CASA Recognition Awards, and he and his wife (the former Executive Director of the Baltimore Child Abuse Center) were Baltimore City foster parents.
Founded in 1982, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, D.C. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.
ABOUT BROWN, GOLDSTEIN & LEVY
Founded in 1982, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, DC. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.