The Baltimore Sun recently profiled BGL client Paul Jan Zdunek for his work advocating for justice for child sexual abuse survivors. Mr. Zdunek is a survivor of child sexual abuse from the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Boy Scouts of America and now chairs a committee representing other survivors.
In the Sun story, Mr. Zdunek, an accomplished businessman and author, shares how he recounted his experience to help other victims come forward after realizing his story was part of a systematic issue of abuse and that the organizations were actively covering it up. As an adult, decades after experiencing sexual abuse by leaders of the Catholic Church and Boy Scouts, Mr. Zdunek still sees the impact of his trauma on his everyday life and relationships.
Currently, Mr. Zdunek is focused on the creditors committee that he chairs, which represents those with claims against the archdiocese in the bankruptcy proceedings. He told the Sun that he hopes to use the position as chairman “to finally get the acknowledgment of harm, accountability of wrongfulness and justice due to every child survivor.”
BGL partner Andy Freeman, who is fighting for long overdue justice for Mr. Zdunek, recommended that he serve on the committee. “It’s a pretty weighty role,” Andy told the Sun, and Mr. Zdunek is well qualified for it. “He’s very smart, levelheaded and has significant business experience.”
Read The Baltimore Sun story here.
At Brown, Goldstein & Levy, we know it is difficult to recall traumatic memories, let alone discuss them. But even if the assault happened many years ago, you may be able to file a lawsuit for compensation now. Our attorneys have experience with difficult sexual assault cases and have won million-dollar and multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements in favor of survivors. We maintain absolute confidentiality and will only move forward if and when you are ready to do so. To learn more about our practice and how we help share your story and begin to right the decades of abuse you and others have faced, please contact us today for a confidential consultation.
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.