New York Child Victims Act lawsuits largely inactive five years onward
In 2019, a group of men, including James Manfredonia, thought they'd finally have their day in court when they brought a lawsuit against their former Little League coach, Tony Sagona, under New York's Child Victims Act. However, three years later, they're still waiting for their case to see daylight. The Sagona case is far from being the only one stuck in limbo.
Between 2019 and 2021, over 10,000 lawsuits were filed under the Child Victims Act in New York, alleging that teachers, coaches, priests, and other authority figures sexually abused thousands of kids decades ago. Out of these, only 2,000 cases have been settled or disposed of, leaving the rest classified as "pending."
Manfredonia, now 63, expresses frustration over the lack of progress. He says the justice system seems indifferent, leaving victims like himself hanging on to hope. "We were promised a window of opportunity," he says, "but the system's not working, and no one seems to care enough to make it work."
The Child Victims Act, passed in January 2019, abolished the statute of limitations, allowing victims of childhood abuse to sue their abusers, regardless of when the abuse took place. Yet, it seems the law's purpose to right past wrongs has not been effectively implemented.
There's a lot of finger-pointing over who's at fault for the bottleneck. Critics argue that the system's pace is partly due to a handful of judges juggling the overwhelming caseload. Another contributing factor is ongoing legal battles between major institutions, such as the Archdiocese of New York, accused of covering up systematic abuse, and their insurers over financial responsibilities.
Heather Cucolo, a professor at the New York Law School, says the process is reminiscent of the legislative dance - pass a law to address a wrong, create an opening, yet the system put in place to expedite these cases fails to deliver.
David Catalfamo, who heads the Coalition for Just & Compassionate Compensation, accuses the state of neglect, claiming it has shamelessly sided with large insurance companies while abandoning victims they once promised to protect. Governor Kathy Hochul's office did not respond to requests for comment on this matter.
Manfredonia's lawyer, Bradley Rice, attributes the delay partly to a lack of judges and the grouping of lawsuits. Rice maintains that the situation reflects the state's inability to prepare for the high volume of lawsuits expected after the act was passed.
One notable exception to breaking through the logjam is the Archdiocese of New York, which established its own Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program to help victims who opted not to sue. As of April, the archdiocese had settled over 430 of these cases, according to spokesperson Joseph Zwilling.
In the meantime, cases against smaller organizations like Manfredonia's lawsuit against Sagona, the Great Kills Babe Ruth League, and others remain unresolved. Sagona, now 74 and residing in Florida, maintains his innocence, as does the Great Kills Babe Ruth League, though attempts to reach them were unsuccessful.
Despite the delay, Manfredonia believes there's some good to be found in the process. Openly discussing something he'd kept hidden for decades has helped his family understand his behavior and reactions. "Talking about our story has helped our families begin to understand why we are the way we are," he says. "They can't really know what it's like, but they can understand our behavior and reactions, and that's a significant benefit."
Quagmired in a legal logjam, the Child Victims Act's fight for long-overdue justice faces seemingly insurmountable challenges. However, advocates and survivors remain steadfast in their pursuit of change, eternal vigilance the watchword of this modern-day crusade.
- The delay in processing lawsuits filed under New York's Child Victims Act, such as Manfredonia's against Sagona, highlights the intersection of politics and justice, as advocates and survivors call for reform in the insurance industry to expedite the resolution of these cases.
- The ongoing lawsuits, including Manfredonia's against the Great Kills Babe Ruth League, underscore the importance of general-news coverage to bring attention to the plight of abuse victims, holding accountable not only the perpetrators but also institutions that may have covered up decades of abuse.
