A wards C elebration & F undraiser November 2, 2023 at 7:00pm National Constitution Center, Philadelphia PA
A MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER & CEO
I am delighted to welcome you to CHILD USA’s Annual Gala celebrating leaders of the Civil Rights Movement for Children. As we make more and more progress securing rights for children and child victims, we are thankful to have our many generous supporters by our side. This year, we are proud to share many achievements with you. CHILD USA continues to lead the nation on statute of limitations (SOL) reform. Our Annual SOL Tracker continues to be the resource lawyers need with its weekly updates. As of September, 2023, 38 states and the federal government have introduced bills to extend or completely eliminate the statutes of limitations (SOLs) on child sex abuse claims. CHILD USA has submitted testimony to more than 30 committees in various states across the nation urging lawmakers to adopt these bills. New SOL reform laws are going into effect in 11 states, including Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington. CHILD USA and CHILD USAdvocacy were heavily involved in the hard-fought passage of Maryland’s new law, which eliminates the civil SOL for child sex abuse and opens a permanent revival window for all stet claims. We have also completed the manuscript for the book every lawyer will need in their office! Reform bills in Kansas eliminated the criminal SOL for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) crimes, as well as extending and reviving the civil SOL for CSAM offenses. Additionally, CHILD USA has filed amicus briefs in over 10 lawsuits to ensure survivors continue to enjoy, and do not lose, their expanded access to justice provided by extended and revived SOLs.
2
CHILD Global entered the global arena for SOL Reform as we formed a partnership with the Brave Movement. We released a major report for the Council of Europe, advocating for the elimination of the Child Sex Abuse (CSA) SOLs across Europe: Justice Unleashed: Ending Limitations, Protecting Children. Next up is The Americas Report, which will provide the CSA SOLs in North, Central, and South America. We are increasingly turning our attention to CSAM issues. CHILD USA has made significant strides in our initiative to improve children’s access to medical care. We continue to track and update exemptions to childhood vaccine requirements nationwide on our website and to provide crucial testimony in response to legislation aimed at rolling back children’s rights to medical care. For example, CHILD USA successfully countered six bills that were introduced in the Maine legislature aimed at restoring religious and philosophical exemptions to childhood vaccine laws. As the number of these bills continues to rise, CHILD USA is at the forefront of the fight to protect children from these harmful laws. We have also written multiple op-eds and blogs highlighting the harms of extreme religious liberty on children’s access to medical care, particularly in the case of abortion. CHILD USA published a White Paper on the dangers of abortion restrictions on pregnant children, who are victims of rape and incest. CHILD USA is working to ensure every child has the right to a quality education as we partner with the Amish Heritage Foundation and the Coalition for Responsible Homeschooling to work on protecting each child’s right to an education in each state in the United States. Currently, not every state guarantees this right in their Constitution, but this coalition will be educating lawmakers on the facts of educational neglect and the cost to society. During 2023, our Social Science Department expanded its reach to share the results of major research projects with the scholarly world and the public. We presented findings on child abuse in athletics and in schools, as well as cutting-edge information on delayed disclosure and the economic impact of CSA at six conferences and CLEs. We have two peer-reviewed articles on overlapping forms of athlete abuse and effects on mental health in review with the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, and look forward to publication this winter. In addition, we are in the process of publishing a law review article criticizing the practice of forced reunification camps for children involved in custody battles. Our other reports this year pushed back on misinformation about the fiscal impact of SOL reform and raised the alarm about impacts of abortion bans on children. CHILD USA’s Social Science Department continues to lead the way on providing the facts about SOL reform and CSA. Check out our 2023 Delayed Disclosure Factsheet to stay up to date on the best research! In 2024, CHILD USA looks forward to continuing the fight for children’s civil rights as the think tank for children through its innovative pairing of legal analysis and social science research to guide formation of the best laws and policies of child protection. All this is possible thanks to the generosity of our donors. I personally extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for supporting our mission. Thank you for walking beside us in the fight for children’s civil rights. Sincerely,
Professor Marci A. Hamilton Founder & CEO
LIVE AWARDS CEREMONY PROGRAM Cocktail Hour Welcome from Master of Ceremonies Jillian Ruck, Chief Operating Officer
Opening Remarks
Professor Marci A. Hamilton, Founder and CEO and James Marsh, Esq. Chairman of the Board
Celebrating Civil Rights for Children End of Year Giving
Kelsey Bryner, Development Director and Jeffrey Pickering, CHILD USA Board Member
The Sean P. McIlmail Hero Award presented to The Honorable Mark Rozzi
The Thomas P. Doyle Whistleblower Award presented to Hannah-Kate
The Voice of the Voiceless Award
presented to The Honorable Tara T. Shephard
Closing Remarks
Professor Marci A. Hamilton
Please join us for dessert and traditional wine pull
Thanks for joining us!
3
How we achieve our mission. We are in the trenches of child protection! And we will continue to achieve our mission:
• Fighting for the rights of children to be
free from child sex abuse through legal reform of the statutes of limitation and federal bankruptcy law, ending child marriage, and holding institutions accountable. • Fighting for the rights of children to medical care. • Fighting to ensure every child’s right to a quality education.
www.childusa.org
2023
Board of Directors
Staff
James Marsh, Esq., Chairman of the Board Richard Tollner, Treasurer Brittany Henderson, Esq., Recording Secretary Benjamin Andreozzi, Esq. Justin Conway Christine Sudlow Ewan Jeffrey Fritz, Esq. Brian Kent, Esq. Tom Krumins Mary Liu, Esq. Hillary Nappi, Esq. Jennifer Niven Jeff Pickering Mike Rinder Susanna Southworth, Esq. Elysse Stolpe, Esq.
Marci A. Hamilton, Founder and CEO Jim Plappert, CFO Jillian Ruck, COO Kelsey Bryner, Development Director Andrew Ortiz, MSSP, Social Science Director Jessica Schidlow, Esq., MA, NCC, Legal Director Devyne Byrd, Esq., Staff Attorney for Global Projects Jessica Downes, Esq., Staff Attorney Stephanie Gonzalez, Digital Media Manager Alice Nasar Hanan, Esq., Senior Staff Attorney MaryClare Malady, Event Planner & Executive Assistant to the CEO Carina Nixon, Esq., Senior Staff Attorney Diane Plappert, Marketing Consultant Annelies Smilde, MPHTM, Social Science Researcher Jennifer Wilczynski, Esq., MA, MS, Staff Attorney
Board Members, emeritus Professor Leslie Griffin Jesse Loffler Karen Rooney John Salviston Rita Swan
THE CONTENT IN THIS STORY CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE AND MAY BE CHALLENGING FOR SOME TO READ. WE ADVISE READER’S DISCRETION.
THE SEAN P. MCILMAIL HERO AWARD The Honorable Mark Rozzi
The Sean P. McIlmail Hero Award was established in the memory of Sean, who was coming out of a difficult time in his life, doing everything he could to bring Father Robert L. Brennan to justice, and who passed away before the prosecution could go forward. Sean’s parents, Deborah and Michael, generously made the CHILD USA SOL Research Institute possible and join CHILD USA at every event for justice for child sex abuse victims. They are family to us. In March, 2009 one of Mark Rozzi’s very close childhood friends took his own life. Rozzi found himself staring at the firearm that was always in his nightstand, realizing he had two choices after trying to deal with the aftereffects of years of sexual abuse at the hands of Father Edward Graff, a priest whose known victims number over 200 children: He could take his own life to end the suffering, or he could fight! He chose to fight, and this year’s recipient of the Sean P. McIlmail Hero Award, Pennsylvania State Representative Mark Rozzi, has made it his mission to change laws to protect children and give a voice to victims. Since his election in 2013, he has
6
been working with his colleagues in the Pennsylvania legislature to enact a statute of limitations window so childhood sexual abuse victims get justice. Since joining the House, he has spoken out to let victims know they are not alone and that what they have suffered does not define them! A first generation American of Italian heritage, Rozzi grew up in a neighborhood where the Church and a Catholic education were simply part of life’s fabric. “Up until the age of 13, I’d say I had a glorious childhood,” he says. “Dad worked, my mother was at home and picked us up from school every day, baseball fields and parks were close-by, and friends and family members were neighbors and playmates. I was truly cared-for at home.” At 13, though, he was sexually assaulted by local priest Fr. Graff — and everything changed. He was not the only child present at the time of the rape, and he recalls that as he and his best friend fled, they also told each other they must not say a word, and that they would see each other at school on Monday. However, his mother noticed something clearly was wrong and tried to get him to talk about it. Finally, to get her to stop, Rozzi told her the priest had exposed himself to him, but he refused to divulge anything more despite her questions. That day marked the beginning of keeping a traumatic secret that would cause many years of devastating struggle with guilt, shame, fear and the host of emotions suffered by the sexually abused. “My mother spoke her mind, and she took action,” Rozzi recalls. “She spoke with the principal of the school, who said he would check into it. Of course, he never did, and he also knew a child had been ripped from school a year earlier due to rape and abuse. However, the principal covered up for the diocese.” After that, Rozzi never again left the school grounds to serve in the rectory, never served as an altar boy. “Part of the reason I didn’t tell was that I was afraid it would all blow up, that my life as a child would be over,” Rozzi says. “The feelings – you feel your heart is black, that you’re a piece of trash. It kills your soul. You feel guilty that you don’t have the courage to come forward. Many boys at my school were sexually abused, and many adults knew about it. But when something is so institutionalized, many people become silent.” Despite failed attempts to compartmentalize the trauma, keeping that secret became more and more difficult as the years passed. Following the abuse, Rozzi pulled away from his family a bit, yet still had to attend Catholic high school. He stayed away from home, he says, because he was trying to get away from his own thoughts. Halfway through his freshman year, he started drinking to “blur the memories” and using marijuana to sleep at night. “For many victims,” he says, “these
behaviors are an attempt to erase the memories you live with every day. But the feelings are always there.” These feelings also, he says, can cause many missed opportunities, such as an invitation to try out for Cleveland Indians scouts. “I had a bad night and couldn’t get myself to the tryout,” he recalls. Even more important, like so many victims, Rozzi is devastated the trauma prevented him from growing into “a different man, the man I should have been – a loving friend, the kind of person who would do anything for you, someone connected to people.” It wasn’t until his second year of college that Rozzi reached out for help and began therapy. “I carried a lot of guilt for many years,” Rozzi says. “If I’d had the courage to come forward, I could have saved my childhood friends’ lives. Sexual predators never stop, and it’s going to take a whole community to make the legal changes that give victims a voice.” On March 29, 2009, Rozzi determined he would fight to make those changes. He contacted his legislator, Rep. Dante Santoni, to tell his story and ask why Pennsylvania was not passing laws to victims access to justice. He was told that the Catholic Conference of Bishops and the Insurance Federation were powerful institutions that were working to block the bills. In 2010 Santoni arranged what turned out to be a pivotal meeting with Rep. Tom Caltagirone, then head of the Judiciary Committee, to whom Rozzi repeated his story. To his fury, Caltagirone asked him how he could even remember something that happened to him when he was 13 years-old. “I was never so infuriated in my entire life! How dare he tell me I don’t remember being raped in the shower, memories I’ve lived with every single day,” Rozzi says, noting that one of a victim’s biggest fears – not being believed – had come to pass. He recalls saying “I will be back, we will be seeing each other again,” as he left the meeting. This incident is ultimately what pushed Rozzi into politics. “I 100% ran for office to change the laws for victims,” he says. “Certainly, we do other things in the legislature, but this has been my focus since being seated in 2013.” On the campaign trail, Rozzi faced all those fears and told his story. He was astonished at how many people broke down to tell him their own stories of abuse that they’d never revealed before.
“When I look back and remember how afraid I was, scared of what people would think of me if I came forward, lacking in self-confidence, suffering PTSD and nightmare as so many victims do, I realize that I needed a shot in the arm. The death of my childhood friend who was also a victim – I’ve lost four of them by their own hands – and that meeting with Caltagirone lit my fire to do everything I had to do to get in the game. “The laws on the books at the time I ran were not protecting the children, they were protecting the pedophiles and institutions,” he adds. “I would do everything to my last breath to make them pay, and pay dearly for what they have done. Because politicians failed to do their job, I had to do it for them.” Although Rozzi has experienced some legislative success, there are still battles to win. For example, he is still fighting to create the 2-year window for justice that will allow victims additional time to come forward to sue their abusers, when statutes of limitation typically expire. He points out that many grand juries have recommended this window, and that as of July this year, 26 states had passed some form of revival window for old claims of sexual abuse to be addressed. In Pennsylvania, he experienced nearly 20 years of error, intrigue and bias. Rozzi credits CHILD USA with helping to continue pushing for the truth and facts, giving victims hope. “CHILD USA has the real information,” he says, “and that’s why I support them and ask others to join in that support. I won’t stop until we finish the job, and CHILD USA is out there, protecting your children and grandchildren,” he continues. “Without them, maybe we wouldn’t have come this far. Marci Hamilton’s extensive knowledge and expertise on constitutionality is critical as we push forward to give thousands of victims their day in court and the ability to hold people accountable. “CHILD USA knows the devastation that’s the result of child sexual abuse and stands for victims,” he adds. “Despite the many hurdles that have been placed before us, we need to stand with them, fight with them, to change the laws in every state in the union.” n
7
THE THOMAS P. DOYLE WHISTLEBLOWER AWARD Hannah-Kate
The Thomas P. Doyle Award is named after the pioneering priest who alerted the Roman Catholic Church, and then the world, about clergy sex abuse. Professor Leslie Griffin had the idea for this Award, reached out to CHILD USA, and has donated a fund to provide the winners of this award with a stipend. We are grateful for all that Tom has done during his historic career, and to Prof. Griffin for this and her many contributions to CHILD USA through her expertise and big heart. Imagine, if you can, enduring years of abuse from early childhood to young adulthood at the hands of loved ones. Imagine finally speaking out and finding you are not believed. In fact, you are maligned and subjected to threats and intimidation from the people and powerful organizations that should protect and love you. Sadly, this is a story that repeats all too often throughout our country and world. The most vulnerable, children, are left to fend for themselves in a toxic miasma of denial and coverup that protects corporate entities over victims. Thanks to
8
CHILD USA’s tireless mission to eliminate statues of limitation, they are empowered to battle their tormentors in court. This year’s recipient of the Thomas P. Doyle Whistleblower Award is Hannah-Kate, a remarkable young woman whose courageous quest for truth, accountability, and justice has led to a life of activism, helping others to escape their circumstances and report abuse. Since leaving her abusive situation in 2019, Hannah Kate has taken on the Southern Baptist Convention and several of its affiliates. She is suing for their coverup of widespread sexual abuse, collective negligence in failing to protect her and others, and engaging in an active campaign to malign and discredit her, among other claims. A previous attorney urged her not to file a lawsuit because she needed more evidence. She filed anyway. Kentucky formerly gave victims five years from their 18th birthday to come forward, but she was already 24 when she escaped the abuse for good. Like so many survivors, she was blocked from justice. However, due to a change in Kentucky’s law that opened a short statute of limitations window, Hannah-Kate withdrew the original suit. She was able to file the current, more comprehensive complaint with the help of her new team of attorneys, including CHILD USA Board Member, Brian Kent. Hannah-Kate did not simply file her suit and sit back to await results. She also speaks about her abuse and participates in protests. “The protests really aren’t for me, they are so that the vulnerable within organizations see someone is willing to fight for them,” she says. “I believe that when evil is not challenged, it becomes normalized. But if you point it our and have a reaction of anger and disgust, people have a chance to pause and realize something is wrong and must be changed.” Her primary work, however, is literally to walk with many survivors as they come forward and enter the legal system. Hannah-Kate has stood with over 300 victims, driving them to police stations to report the abuse, helping them to find trauma-informed police officers, matching them with attorneys experienced in abuse cases, and building a new community of others to stand with them. Over a period of about two and a half years, Hannah Kate estimates she has flown about 3,000 miles per week to be with survivors and walk them through the process. Nearly all have found her through her Twitter account, the only social media account she uses. She keeps her DMs open, and responds as much and as quickly as possible, sometimes getting on a plane within hours of a contact. In fact, it was through Twitter, while
hiding in a retailer’s bathroom, that she first tweeted she was being abused and found help. “The majority of my friends now found me through Twitter, which is wild,” she adds. “Most of my advocacy is done in private,” she says, “because peoples’ stories are very sacred and I try to keep them confidential. This is my favorite part of advocacy. To be able to sit with someone who is shaking with fear and PTSD, having to tell the worst things that have ever happened to them – I can sit with them, be a voice of calm in a dark space, saying ‘You’re brave. You’re competent. I believe you.’ My favorite part of being free of abuse is seeing other people become free.” When you speak the truth, she adds, you are no longer bound by lies and deceit, “And I love that.” Coming forward sometimes comes at great cost, though.
for more than three weeks. She says she is still going through the process of creating new friendships and learning to thrive. “I lost all of the community I had, including my family, and have had to build a new network and community, create new relationships’” she says. “I have the most courageous friends,” she adds with a big smile, “and they are all doing amazing things! Most are survivors of abuse, and I now have many people around me who understand the cost of telling the truth, and their support empowers me to keep going. My main focus in life now is that my words and actions be honest and true.” If Hannah Kate had the opportunity, she would tell survivors that, “Now is not forever. You are worth fighting for. Even when others doubt you, your gut knows. You know what right and wrong are, you know the truth. You have been able to survive the worst of the worst, and now you’ll be able to thrive in the best of the best.” She would also tell her family she loves them. When she found she’d been selected to receive CHILD USA’s Whistleblower Award, Hannah Kate says she “literally bawled. I just could not believe it! I have never been so honored in my life,” she adds. “If CHILD USA had been around when I was a kid, then I would have seen someone having a visceral reaction to the evil I was experiencing. I would have had someone to say ‘That’s wrong, and you deserve more.’ That fact that I get to be a part of that for other kids? There’s literally no greater honor I’ve ever been given.” n
“My main focus in life now is that my words and actions be honest and true.”
“Speaking from my own experience and walking with so many others, I can confirm that coming forward and telling the truth is very isolating,” she says. “Relationships within family groups and other close affiliations are often broken. Family groups often don’t want to acknowledge that abuse happened – it’s uncomfortable. And sometimes,” she continues, “for your own safety you need to cut off all relationships and start fresh to replace the loss.” Hannah Kate relates stories of having to move nine hours from her apartment in order to escape what she describes as “pastors and attorneys showing up at my front door to try to silence me.” She says retribution against her was so severe that at one point she required protection, and that police patrolled outside her home
9
THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS AWARD The Honorable Tara T. Shephard
The Voice of the Voiceless Award recognizes an individual who uses their voice to speak out for victims of child sexual abuse and neglect who are unable to do so themselves. Resiliency and hard work are the hallmarks of Representative Tara Shephard’s life, and they are the values she has worked hard to instill in the many girls and young women she has inspired to aspire over decades of advocacy and serving others. Now in her first term in the Arkansas State House of Representatives, she is using her position to continue the service that has its roots in community involvement and volunteerism. She has helped to get the statute of limitations laws expanded for reporting abuse, and gained national attention for her bill to put opioid overdose kits in Arkansas schools. Shephard’s father is her role model. “I tell people all the time that one of the proudest moments of my life was to see my dad, a big strong man, putting on that uniform and going off to war,” she says, adding that her father served three tours of duty in Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. “These were also some of the saddest moments of my life, because I didn’t
10
know whether my dad would be coming home. But he is my example of fighting for the rights of others by any means necessary. My strength and toughness — resiliency — I got from my dad.” As an adult, she laughs, this translates into her “severely unhealthy work habits,” because she doesn’t stop until she gets results. After earning her B.A. and M.A. degrees in criminal justice, Shephard took a position as program director of the Arkansas Juvenile Assessment and Treatment Center (AJAT). “I was just drawn to the idea of working with justice-involved individuals, she says, “and believed I had the fortitude to make a difference in their lives.” Her journey into advocacy for vulnerable girls began in 2001 when she became clinical coordinator for City Girls in Chicago. As supervisor of this residential substance abuse treatment program for teen girls ages 13-18, she received an invitation in 2002 to speak on substance abuse at a conference called Just Us Girls. She was both overwhelmed and inspired by what she experienced there. Upon arrival “all I saw was rows and rows of buses,” she says, “and when I went in, I saw a sea of girls, 3,000 or more. I thought ‘this is the most fabulous thing I have ever seen in my life! If I ever get the opportunity, I will most definitely do something like this.’” Fast forwarding a few years, she returned to Arkansas and AJAT. In 2010 she was invited by then- Senator Tracy Steele to participate in a leadership class hosted by the Stand Foundation. At the end of the course, attendees were required to complete a community service project and Shephard’s thoughts went immediately to the Just Us Girls conference. “I started running around, talking to everyone about this extraordinary experience in Chicago, telling them I wanted to bring it to Arkansas, and asking if they would help me. And pretty much, everyone said ‘No,’” she laughs. She essentially was told she had to have a business in order to establish credibility. “That’s when resiliency kicked in, and I began to work on establishing the non-profit. Then I found out I needed money to start the business,” she adds. “My dad helped me with the funds to start the non-profit, Delta Community Based Services.” With this base, Shephard partnered with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) and in 2011 began hosting the annual At-Promise Girls Empowerment Conference there, which continued until 2018. Its purpose, Shephard says, was to talk about things that are most impactful to girls, and to be gender-responsive. Girls traveled from all over the state to attend the open-registration event, and the 12–18-year-olds were primarily black. Over 400 girls attended the 2018 event, a 120% increase over the inaugural conference. Anyone could volunteer at the conferences, she says, but only women
who had some sort of license or certification could actually be in front of the girls as speakers or facilitators. In the end, there were over 70 volunteers. In addition to the facilitators’ first requirement for credentialling, all volunteers had another requirement – to be able to be a teen girl for a day. What did that mean? “If you couldn’t show up in a wig and a tutu, then you couldn’t volunteer,” Shephard laughs. “I had judges, I had lawyers – everyone was coming in a wig and a tutu!” Of course, there was a purpose. “We know that relationships are of first importance to women and girls” she continues. “I didn’t want them coming to an event where everybody was stiff and the girls wouldn’t feel they could open up to the volunteers. Instead, they saw us as friendly, inviting, welcoming and non-threatening. We were there to have fun, but we were also there to educate those girls.” Attendees had sessions with either a medical doctor or a nurse practitioner; they had sessions with a licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor, and they also had a mental health session with a psychiatrist and/or a licensed mental health professional. “Each of those professionals was there in their wig, tutu and their At-Promise tee shirt!” Post-conference surveys were administered to help direct preparation for the next one. After the 2018 event, there were questions about ACEs, adversities the girls face in their lives, along with the standard final question asking if there was something the conference organizers missed or didn’t cover. “One of the girls responded ‘You didn’t talk about me being raped,’” she says, “and although the responses were anonymous, we did capture the ages of the respondents. She was 12 years old. I just sat there and bawled, just cried about the 12-year-old girl that we missed. “After years of thinking I had covered all my bases, I wasn’t prepared for this.” In 2018, Shephard was invited to a luncheon of Black Women in Public Health, a group of women advocating public health policy, and expressed her frustration that she had this report from an individual she could not find and did not know how to help. They encouraged her to “get her voice out there – not only hers, but other girls’ voices, too.” Again, that resiliency kicked in and Shephard began contacting individuals for help putting the information from over 300 surveys into a report showing what was happening to girls in
Arkansas. Eventually, she found funding and partnered with the Arkansas Minority Health Commission and the UALR Race and Ethnicity Institute to produce In Their Voices – Adverse Childhood Experiences for Black Girls in 2019. This report was released at a summit held at UALR for funders, stakeholders, community members, etc. in place of the conference, which was discontinued due to COVID-19 restrictions. Since then, she has been on a mission to raise awareness for the adversity that many children face. The report is not the only publication birthed by Shephard’s efforts. A wonderful tool, produced with girls at the largest lock-up of juvenile girls in Arkansas. “Eighty percent of the girls who enter the justice system have experienced some physical or sexual trauma. We lock girls away, telling them they need help,” she says. “But we lock them away with strangers. I noticed them doodling, and I simply became tired of watching girls journal in empty pages, trying to understand themselves through journaling. They needed guidance. I asked them for 30 feeling or emotion words that would be the foundation for a book. We had 1,000 words, but could only use 30,” she said. “They all insisted that one word that must be included was shame, because each and every girl there was experiencing it.” With those 30 words and assistance from social workers, psychologists, English professors and graphic designers, Shephard produced a remarkable journal, Who Am I? A Girl’s Guide to Thinking It Through. It is designed to help any girl, anywhere in the nation develop self-awareness, learn from mistakes and be happier. Over 5,000 of these journals, full of reflective questions and illustrations of faceless “every girls” have been distributed nationwide. Now that she is a legislator, Shephard is not sure if she’ll be able to bring the conferences back, although she still receives many inquiries about it today. “Unfortunately, I have not been able to find anyone with the same passion for the girls that I had to take it over. It is absolutely a loss.” However, it is her mission to continue “hustling for others. I want my life to show that I made an impact.” n
11
AMICUS ADVOCACY
COURTS WHERE CHILD FILED BRIEFS IN 2023:
CHILD USA thanks the following law firms for providing pro bono assistance for amicus briefing: The Marsh Law Firm Hach Rose Schirripa & Cheverie, LLP Tin Fulton Walker & Owens, LLC Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard, PLLC Ciolino Onstott, LLC The Zalkin Law Firm, P.C. Crew Janci, LLP Berman & Simmons, P.A. Denver Trial Lawyers Wilder Law Group Abaray, Craddock, & Smith, PLLC Jayaram Law Burns Bair, LLP Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, LLC Wahlberg, Woodruff, Nimmo & Sloane, LLP Christensen Law 12
Supreme Court of Oregon Supreme Court of Kentucky Supreme Court of Arkansas Supreme Court of Maine New York Court of Claims Supreme Court of Louisiana Supreme Court of Colorado Supreme Court of Wisconsin Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Eastern District of Louisiana United States Supreme Court Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division Supreme Court of Michigan New York Criminal Court Supreme Court of New York Appellate Division Fourth Dept. Supreme Court of New York Appellate Division Third Dept. Supreme Court of North Carolina
www.crimevictimlawfirm.com
CHILD
USAdvocacy CHILD USAdvocacy is a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization dedicated to ending child abuse and neglect through advocacy for better child protection policy drawing on the expertise of the nation’s leading child advocates. Thanks to the perseverance of CHILD USAdvocacy, survivors, advocates, and lawmakers, SOL reform legislation has been introduced in 38 states and the federal government in 2023 and passed in 11 states. CHILD USAdvocacy will continue to push for legislative change across the country as part of its commitment to protect children’s civil liberties, keep children safe from abuse and neglect, and fight for survivors’ access to justice. CHILD USAdvocacy’s Executive Director Kathryn Robb is a lawyer, legislative advocate, and law instructor who has fought to pass legislation across the country for two decades. An outspoken survivor of child sexual abuse, Kathryn works tirelessly to end child abuse. Her many endeavors include writing, editing, and advocating for child protection bills in addition to testifying before legislative committees. To educate the public, Kathryn regularly speaks before the press, pens editorials and commentary on child protection issues, presents at national conferences, and appears on numerous podcasts and documentaries.
Kathryn Robb, Esq Executive Director You can read Kathryn’s opinions and commentary at www.childusadvocacy.org/press Read the full bio online.
Kathryn seeks to change state and federal laws to reflect the safest standards for children, and victim friendly policies. She is passionately committed to employing the rule of law and sound public policy to protect all children while holding those who harm them fully accountable under criminal and civil law.
With Admiration and Deep Appreciation for the Outstanding Work of CHILD USA, its Tireless Staff and Inspirational Leader Marci Hamilton. Congratulations Also to the Honorees, all Well-Deserved. – Michael J. Boni
15 St. Asaphs Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 610.822.0200 main | 610.822.0206 fax | www.bonizack.com
Get Results, Not Excuses www.Satellitepi.com • Licensed, Bonded & Insured • Specializing in Plaintiff Only Investigations • Prior Law Enforcement with SVU & Missing Persons Experience • Partner For Justice with the NY State Trial Lawyers Association
“Satellite Investigations has been our “go to” investigation firm for many years. As we have scaled up our operation, they have consistently provided reliable coverage all over New York State and beyond. Their field investigators have consistently delivered strong work product that has given my firm leverage time and time again. When our office sends the Satellite team an assignment, we know its covered.” — MICHAEL R., PROMINENT NYC LAW FIRM PARTNER
CHILD USA AMBASSADORS COREY FELDMAN
National Ambassador for SOL Reform
LYNDSY GAMET Ambassador
VINKA JACKSON
International Ambassador
MARALEE MCLEAN Ambassador
STEPHEN MILLS Ambassador
LEAH REMINI
National Child and Family Protection Ambassador
INTERNSHIP & FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM LEGAL
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Manvir Dhaliwal, UPENN, Legal Intern Nicole Gany, Columbia, Pro Bono Volunteer Daniel Jackson, Emory University, Legal Intern Samantha Pannone, Columbia, Pro Bono Volunteer Coby Rabushka, Columbia, Pro Bono Volunteer Isabella Soldano, Columbia, Legal Intern Benjamin Virant, Columbia, Legal Intern
EDUCATE & ACTIVATE
Jonah Marsh, University College London, Research and Development Intern
ROBERT A. FOX FELLOWS, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Brianna Duffin, Rosemont College, Communications Intern
Work Study Students
Alexandra Fisher, University of Pennsylvania Isatou Njie, University of Pennsylvania Madison Sleutjes, University of Pennsylvania
Jayde DeGraff Andy Nguyen Caroline Nolan Sophia Powell Norah Rami Jose Torres
SOCIAL SCIENCE FELLOWS
Sarah Bousquet MSW, MSSP, University of Pennsylvania Karim Sharif MSW, MSSP, University of Pennsylvania Chen Wang MSSP, University of Pennsylvania
If you are interested in an internship or fellowship at CHILD USA, contact us at info@childusa.org.
Thank you, Seasons, for your continued support and beautiful floral arrangements! Since opening our doors, we felt our talents were too great to offer you just one service. That’s why we at Seasons offer you a full-service garden center and landscape service. Our mission is to provide the finest personal service and care to our clients so they can get inspired while relaxing and enjoying their gardens. The Seasons experience should revive the senses and provide a source for personal wellbeing through the beautiful sights, scents and sounds of nature. We take pride remaining true to nature by choosing and promoting environmentally friendly products and practices. When you’re at Seasons, it’s like you’re family. You feel welcomed and right at home. We look forward to seeing our repeat customers each year and look forward to meeting new customers and welcoming you to our family of gardeners.
1069 River Road, PO Box 20
Washington Crossing, PA 18977 Phone: (215) 493-4226
SeasonsGardenCenter.com
OUR HOURS:
Monday-Saturday 9 am - 5 pm Sunday 10 am - 5 pm
DONORS & GRANTORS CHILD USA would like to thank the following donors and grantors for their generous contribution to our groundbreaking work in 2023. Because of you, our vision for safe and happy children will become a reality.
$100,000 and above
$50,000 and above
Oak Foundation White Law, PLLC
Corsiglia McMahon & Allard, LLP Marsh Law Firm Jennifer Freeman, Esq.
$25,000 and above AVA Law Group Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, PLLC Diocese of Duluth Trust Edwards Henderson Lehrman, The Crime Victim Firm
Herman Law Firm, P.A. Laffey Bucci Kent, LLP Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones, LLP Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala, PLLC VIP Products Corporation
$10,000 and above Mary Alexander & Associates, P.C. Andreozzi & Foote, P.C. Frank Bitetto Bonina & Bonina, P.C. Dundon Advisers, LLC Jeffrey P. Fritz, Esq. Hach Rose Schirripa & Cheverie, LLP Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLP Jenner Law, P.C. Kline & Specter, P.C. Levy Baldante Finney & Rubenstein, P.C.
Lowenstein Sandler, LLP Matthews & Associates McIlmail Family Merson Law, PLLC Richard Serbin, Esq. Nye, Stirling, Hale, Miller & Sweet, LLP Seeger Weiss, LLP Slater Slater Schulman, LLP Swensen & Perer, P.C. Tamaki Law Taylor & Ring
$5,000 and above Michael J. Boni, Esq. Dallas Foundation Ayal Glezer Jeoffrey Gordon
Peggy McLaughlin Motley Rice, LLC Sameth Family Foundation
