BG litigators D. Todd Mathews and Elizabeth Dow are appearing in court today to fight for Illinois sex abuse survivors. In 2024, we filed complaints on behalf of 425 survivors of sexual abuse against the Illinois Department of Corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice. The perpetrators of the sexual abuse were correctional officers, counselors, supervisors, and other Illinois Youth Center staff.
The lawsuits were brought under the recently amended Childhood Sexual Abuse Act as codified at 735 ILCS 5/13-202.2. This statute allows survivors to pursue damages from their abusers and from the institutions that enabled the abuse by increasing the time in which survivors of sexual abuse are permitted to come forward and file civil lawsuits.
The State of Illinois filed Motions to Dismiss these complaints which we have vigorously opposed. Today we, along with our co-counsel at the firms of Levy Konigsberg, DiCello Levitt, and Anapol Weiss are appearing before a full panel at the Illinois Court of Claims to argue against the Motions to Dismiss and to stand up for our clients.
The Bailey Glasser litigation team also includes founding partner Brian A. Glasser, Mass Torts Practice Group Leader David Selby, and litigator Samira Bode.