BALTIMORE, June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — With thousands of sexual abuse claims against the State of Maryland already pending in state courts, a lawsuit filed today in United States District Court represents a new front in the battle for justice for survivors of sexual abuse at Maryland juvenile detention centers. Three brave survivors have come forward, alleging that Maryland state officials violated fundamental civil rights by allowing the sexual abuse of children to occur on their watch.
In a federal lawsuit filed by Levy Konigsberg attorneys Corey Stern and Clark Binkley, along with co-counsel, these three survivors allege that they were sexually abused at while confined as children at two of Maryland’s most infamous juvenile detention centers, the Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center and the Charles H. Hickey School.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of the State of Maryland’s recent shameful attempts to restrict the rights of survivors, amending the Child Victim’s Act (CVA) to reduce maximum available damages for all cases filed after June 1, and moving to stay — or pause — all CVA litigation in the State’s own courts. Today’s filing in federal court is an important step in ensuring that survivors will not be silenced.
In commenting on today’s filing, attorney Corey Stern, Partner at Levy Konigsberg, stated:
“Despite Maryland’s recent unconstitutional legislative efforts to insulate itself from liability for the horrific sexual brutalization of children in its custody, Maryland cannot run from liability under Federal law. The United States Constitution was created for all of us, knowing that some would need protection from the tyranny of their political leaders. Our clients’ rights to their bodily integrity are fundamental, and we will stop at nothing to ensure these rights are honored and protected regardless of the oppressiveness of their elected state officials.”
According to the complaint, Maryland officials, including former Secretaries of Juvenile Services and superintendents of the facilities, knew that sexual abuse was rampant at these facilities; affirmatively created policies that fostered the abuse; protected the abusers; and in the most crucial moments turned a blind eye, depriving the plaintiffs of their civil rights and subjecting them to horrors that no child should have to endure.
Levy Konigsberg, a nationally recognized leader in childhood sexual abuse litigation, was among the first firms to file claims under the Maryland CVA specifically tied to abuse in juvenile facilities, and has filed on behalf of over 1,000 survivors in Maryland to date. The firm has represented hundreds of survivors nationwide and continues to serve as a leading voice in the fight for systemic change and accountability.
The firm’s Maryland cases have received extensive coverage by The Baltimore Sun, The Associated Press, and major local outlets, helping shed light on a crisis that remained buried for too long.
Media Inquiries & Contact Information:
Reporters and journalists seeking interviews or additional information are encouraged to contact Attorney Corey Stern via the firm’s contact page:
? https://www.levylaw.com/contact-us/ or email [email protected]
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SOURCE Levy Konigsberg
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