News & Events

  On May 27th, 2020, the New York Senate voted 60 to 0 in favor of extending the New York…

The Archdiocese of New Orleans has recently filed a petition for reorganization, also known as bankruptcy. And that filing by…

Australia’s highest court has overturned the criminal child sexual abuse conviction of Cardinal George Pell, the highest ranking Catholic official ever to be found guilty of child sexual abuse. Even though Cardinal Pell may have escaped criminal and legal accountability through the civil courts, Pope Francis and the Vatican should immediately conduct a thorough investigation of Pell, leaving no stone unturned. The full history of Cardinal Pell needs to be revealed and the information and investigation into Pell should be made public for full transparency and accountability.

As our communities have been asked to dramatically alter the way we go about our lives to curtail the spread of COVID-19, we at Jeff Anderson & Associates want you to know that we remain fully engaged in this journey with you.

I’m Stacey Benson. I’m an attorney with Jeff Anderson & Associates. Together, with the law offices of Steve Boyd we represent hundreds of survivors of sexual abuse in Western New York. Today the Diocese of Buffalo filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. We are very disappointed in this announcement today, not only does it prevent the excavation of important information that‘s been held secret for decades, it keeps survivors of sexual abuse from having their day in court. This legal tactic is an attempt by the diocese to hide important information that survivors have been trying to obtain for decades – this information includes what the diocese knew and when they knew it.

I’m Josh Peck. I’m an attorney with Jeff Anderson & Associates. On February 18, 2020, the Boy Scouts of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. What that means for survivors is that any litigation, any lawsuits that are being handled in state courts get automatically moved over to the bankruptcy court. It does not mean that you cannot bring a claim. It does not mean that you can’t work with us to hold the Boy Scouts accountable and expose the information they kept secret for decades.

Just the other day (December 17, 2019) Pope Francis announced that he was getting rid of “The Pontifical Secret.” It is a policy that he and the Vatican have had in place for a hundred years intended to keep child sex abuse by clergy secret. The grim reality is that this will change nothing.

On October 23, Aljazeera English released “In Bad Faith: Child Sex Abuse and the Catholic Church” (posted below). Part of their Fault Lines series, it is an unflinching investigation into survivors and perpetrators of Catholic clergy sex abuse in the Archdiocese of New York. This is an important piece of journalism for the child protection movement, told with the compassion, the scrutiny, and the urgency the Catholic clergy sexual abuse crisis requires.

There’s a lot of growing excitement and discussion in the Child Protection Movement, locally and across the country, around California Assembly Bill 218 – and rightfully so. It transcends bi-partisan politics. It kicks open courthouse doors thought forever closed. It makes healing and justice a possibility for survivors of child sexual abuse. It’s a BIG DEAL.

Child sexual abuse survivors in New York will have a new chance at justice and healing beginning Wednesday, August 14, when New York’s one-year window for survivors to take legal action against their perpetrators and the institutions that protected them takes effect. “This is a new day for survivors and a real chance at healing,” said attorney Jeff Anderson of Jeff Anderson & Associates, who represents hundreds of survivors who were sexually abused as children in New York. “These courageous survivors are holding perpetrators and powerful institutions accountable. They’re taking back power that was stolen from them as children.”

As the news continues to unfold about serial sexual abuser Conrad Avondale Mainwaring, the former Olympian and track coach accused of sexually abusing dozens of boys and young athletes at locations across the United States, we are again seeing the stark reality of how dangerous one unchecked predator can be. However, we are also reminded of the power survivors’ voices can have in protecting children.

Reports that a Los Angeles track coach and former Olympic hurdler is accused of sexually assaulting more than 30 athletes over 44 years are grim reminders of the need for strict oversight to guard against predatory coaches.Conrad Mainwaring was arrested Wednesday and charged with sexual battery in connection with an incident in 2016 when he sexually assaulted a male college athlete “under the guise of physical therapy and metal focus training,” according to police. Mainwaring, 67, competed for Antigua in the 1976 Olympics as a hurdler. He has coached high school and college track and field…

Sometimes a headline describes an issue better than the story. Take this one from Thursday’s article in American Magazine about bishop accountability protocols regarding sexual abuse adopted by U.S. Catholic bishops  this week in Baltimore:“U.S. bishops adopt new protocols for holding themselves accountable for sex abuse”The story highlights how the bishops’ new protocols are designed to ensure transparency and impartiality in dealing with sexual abuse and abuse cover-up by U.S. bishops, problems which have been secretly handled in-house by bishops and the Vatican for decades with…