WESTMINSTER, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After decades of silence, men and women are coming forward to hold Kurn Hattin Homes for Children accountable for covering up physical and sexual abuse at the school. Though the abuse has received little media attention, survivors have detailed decades of history of abuse at the school, reports A Case for Women (ACFW).
“There are truly no words to describe what children suffered at this school,” said Susan Knape, founder of ACFW. “I can’t believe the school chose to cover up the abuse rather than address it; this inaction put countless more children in harm’s way. The school’s reputation was more important than protecting children, and there’s nothing that can ever justify that choice.”
ACFW has allied with Andrus Wagstaff, an established law firm that has decades of experience helping people uncover abuse hidden by entities and holding them responsible for their inaction.
“We are proud to help survivors come together and seek justice against Kurn Hattin,” said Kim Dougherty, partner at Andrus Wagstaff. “Even though the abuse happened decades ago, the survivors can still make a difference today by holding the school accountable. While a lawsuit can’t change what happened, it can expose the truth, help protect other children from being hurt and allow our survivor clients to heal.”
According to Andrus Wagstaff's findings, dozens of survivors have come forward with stories of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of teachers, administrators and others. While evidence suggests school leadership knew about the abuse, no action was taken to stop it or remove the accused abusers. Instead, a culture of abuse permeated the school and caused a decades-long cycle of child abuse that many of the school’s alumni are still dealing with today.
Andrus Wagstaff, led by attorney Kim Dougherty (who also has a Masters in Social Work), was one of the law firms that took on Michigan State University on behalf of numerous young gymnasts who were sexually abused over decades by Dr. Larry Nassar. In addition, the firm also filed lawsuits against the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and USA Gymnastics (USAG) to hold those entities accountable for helping to cover up widespread abuse in the sport. Andrus Wagstaff has also taken on some of the most significant and complex sexual abuse litigation in the modern era, working with sex trafficking survivors, clergy abuse survivors, Boy Scout Abuse survivors, dozens of survivors abused in schools, foster care, and other settings. Andrus Wagstaff is dedicated to representing survivors in attaining justice and gaining back their power through a trauma informed approach to their work. To learn more about Andrus Wagstaff, visit https://www.andruswagstaff.com/.
ACFW has a dedicated history of helping men and women seek justice for sexual abuse. ACFW helps expose systemic abuse inside entities and works to stop the cycle of abuse by educating survivors about their legal options. Whether the abuse was perpetrated by Catholic Church officials, by trafficking at a hotel or another business that turned a blind eye, by an Uber or Lyft driver, or by other representatives of a larger organization, ACFW has been there to help. To learn more about ACFW, visit https://www.acaseforwomen.com.
If you are a survivor of abuse at Kurn Hattin Homes for Children, contact Andrus Wagstaff to learn how you can join the lawsuit at Survivorsupport@andruswagstaff.com or 508-269-3394.
About Andrus Wagstaff
Andrus Wagstaff is a plaintiffs’ law firm with 40 years of experience in handling personal injury cases. This experience extends to helping survivors of sexual abuse take legal action. Through a combination of legal skill, knowledge and understanding, Andrus Wagstaff is a firm that is dedicated to helping survivors recover mentally, physically and financially. Their services are focused on helping clients hold the negligent parties accountable while seeking maximum financial damages.
A Case for Women (ACFW)
ACFW is the only women-owned organization in the U.S. dedicated to empowering women to change their lives and help others through civil legal action. By providing an informative and safe place for dialogue and information, ACFW bridges the gap between injured women and the plaintiff law firms that can potentially help them. Learn more about ACFW at https://acaseforwomen.com.