July 11th, 2024

Advocate for child sexual abuse prevention bills in Massachusetts!

It's time to #PassthePreventionPackage and #EliminatetheSOL

Yesterday, in partnership with Senator Joan Lovely (pictured speaking
above) MassKids/Enough Abuse held a Legislative Briefing on Preventing and
Responding to Child Sexual Abuse in Massachsuetts at the State House. Over
55 participants attended, representing 36 legislators' offices, as well as
the Committee on Education.

Senator Joan Lovely shared her personal story of surviving childhood sexual
abuse when she was 6 years old, and emphasized the need for legislative
action on this issue.

MassKids and Enough Abuse Executive Director, Jetta Bernier spoke on the
prevalence of the problem, detailing several recent cases of child sexual
abuse/misconduct in Massachusetts schools, and citing the economic cost to
cities and towns sued for damages relating to these cases. Jetta
highlighted the three key prevention bills we are aiming to pass:

S314/H194 would require schools and youth organizations to provide child
sexual abuse prevention education to staff and students and a comprehensive
Code of Conduct to detail specific boundary-violating behaviors that must
be prohibited;

S1040/H434 would strengthen the screening of school hires to disclose
previous sexual abuse or misconduct; protect schools from liability for
sharing information with another school about an employee’s misconduct;
prohibit related confidentiality agreements; and prevent the practice known
as “passing the trash.”

S106, H1537, and H1538 would ensure that youth under 19 (or 22 if special
needs) would no longer be able to consent legally to sexual relations with
an adult in a position of authority/trust in a school or other institution.
Such adults would no longer be able to use age of consent as a defense in a
civil or criminal action.

Steve Wojnar, Retired Police Chief and Past President of the Massachusetts
Association of Chiefs of Police, said that he has been advocating for 20
years to pass legislation to close the "age of consent loophole" that
currently protects adults in positions of authority who have sexual
relationships with students ages 16-19. He noted that it is a crime under
the rape statute for police officers to have sexual relations with a person
in their custody, regardless of their age or consent. He questioned why
students are not given the same legal protection from the adults who have
authority over them.

Kathryn Robb, Esq., National Director of the Children’s Justice Campaign at
Enough Abuse spoke on the need to pass legislation eliminating the Statute
of Limitations (SOL) in child sexual abuse cases. H1614/S1038 would
eliminate the civil SOL for child sexual abuse claims and open a permanent
revival window for expired civil claims against all defendants.

Senator Joan Lovely (right), Kathryn Robb, Esq. (center) and Jetta Bernier,
MassKids/Enough Abuse E.D.

3 ways you can take action to pass these bills!

1) [1]Click here to send an already drafted email to House Speaker Mariano
and Senate President Spilka urging them to move these bills now.

2) Watch and share news coverage of the Briefing:
* [2]25 Investigates: Renewed push on Beacon Hill to pass sex abuse
prevention bills in limbo for decades, Boston 25 News
* [3]Survivors champion Mass. legislation to protect children from being
sexually abused, WCVB5abc News
* [4]Educator sex abuse bill: ‘I hope it makes it to the finish line this
session’ New Bedford Light

3) Post on social media and share the graphic below! Suggested post:

MA legislators should stand with children, survivors and justice. It's time
to #PassthePreventionPackage! #MAPoli

[5]Donate

Stay connected:

Follow Enough Abuse on Facebook, X and Instagram!

[6]Website [7]Email Address [8]Facebook [9]Twitter [10]Instagram

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Massachusetts Citizens for Children
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