NEW YORK, NY (10\/06\/2023) \u2014The New York State Adult Survivors Act (ASA) provides a one-year look back window for sexual abuse survivors who are outside the statute of limitations to sue their abuser or a negligent institution in court; that window will close on November 23, 2023. Survivors sexually assaulted as an adult can file a civil suit against their abuser until the window closes, even if the statute of limitation has expired.<\/p>\n
The historic passage of the Adult Survivors Act has empowered survivors to seek justice in the courts. Since the window opened, over 400 suits have been filed. The ASA is based on the Child Victims Act (CVA) for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse which extended the criminal & civil statutes of limitations and created a one-year lookback window for survivors to file a civil suit against their abuser and negligent institutions. Most notably, journalist E. Jean Carroll filed and won her Adult Survivors Act civil suit against former President Trump in May 2023, being awarded $5 million.<\/p>\n
The ASA became law as a result of the advocacy efforts of bill sponsors Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, and the powerful voices of the Safe Horizon Adult Survivors Act Survivors Coalition whose members include Evelyn Yang, Drew Dixon, Marissa Hoechstetter, Donna Hylton, Alison Turkos, AJ (Audrey Johnson), Robert Bender, Alec Govi, Asher Lovy, Bridie Farrell, Sara Ziff and others.<\/p>\n
Safe Horizon, the nation\u2019s largest victim service agency, and the Coalition advocated tirelessly for years to get the ASA passed. These survivors and bill sponsors also appear in Safe Horizon\u2019s PSA campaign informing survivors about their options under the Adult Survivors Act lookback window. The PSA aired in Times Square and on social media platforms, and over 10,000 people have viewed Safe Horizon\u2019s website with detailed information about the ASA.<\/p>\n
“The Adult Survivors Act marks a monumental victory for survivors whose courage and commitment resulted in a viable path to justice and healing for thousands,\u201d said Liz Roberts, Safe Horizon CEO. \u201cThe one-year lookback window has enabled survivors to take back their power by pursuing a suit against the person who caused them harm, or a negligent institution, without fear of the statute of limitations. We are grateful to the survivors and advocates who fought so hard for the ASA to become law and support all survivors in their healing journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSurvivors have 48 days left to file a civil suit against their abuser before the Adult Survivors Act (ASA) window closes on November 23. As of mid-September, more than 450 cases involving hundreds of plaintiffs have been filed under the ASA. On Tuesday alone, 301 survivors used the ASA to file suit against Columbia University for covering up Dr. Robert Hadden\u2019s his systemic sexual abuse. The past year has been extremely moving to witness and impactful for survivors who can see, over and over again, that New York stands with them. I thank Assembly Member Rosenthal, Safe Horizon, and the incredible survivor-advocates like Eveyln Yang, Sara Ziff, and E. Jean Carroll for their voice and support of this critical bill,\u201d said State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal.<\/p>\n
“Hundreds of survivors of sexual assault have sought justice through the Adult Survivors Act, but the window to file a case in court will soon close,\u201d said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D\/WF – Manhattan), Assembly sponsor of the Adult Survivors Act. \u201cArchaic laws have long shielded abusers and shut survivors out of the opportunity to have their voices heard and seek justice through the courts. With the work of Safe Horizon and many other advocates, the ASA has successfully given power back to survivors. For anyone considering an action, there is still time to file a case! Be sure to do so before the lookback period ends on November 23, 2023,” said Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal.<\/p>\n
“I’m inspired by the courage of Emmy award-winning actress, Julia Ormond, who filed a lawsuit earlier this week using the Adult Survivors Act to demand accountability from her abuser, Harvey Weinstein, and from Weinstein’s enablers in Hollywood, whose cumulative actions led to the derailment of her career. I’m grateful to have been part of the coalition of survivor-activists who helped to make it possible for Ormond and all victims of sexual assault in the state of New York to receive some modicum of justice,\u201d said Drew Dixon, member, Safe Horizon Adult Survivors Act Coalition.<\/p>\n
“Sexual abuse is pervasive in the modeling industry. Due to factors such as trauma, financial dependence, and fear of retaliation, many survivors take years to report, only to find it\u2019s too late to take action. Now, with the Adult Survivors Act, there\u2019s a pathway to pursue justice. With the lookback window to file a lawsuit closing in just a few weeks, we hope survivors who are interested in exploring their options will act now,” said Sara Ziff, Executive Director, Model Alliance.<\/p>\n
For more information on the ASA, survivors can visit www.safehorizon.org\/asa or call the Safe Horizon hotline at 1-800-621-HOPE.<\/strong><\/p>\n For Press inquiries, please contact: communications@safehorizon.org<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Adult Survivors Act’s one-year lookback window, which closes on November 23, 2023 has enabled survivors to pursue a lawsuit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":{"id":10155,"alt_text":"Safe Horizon CEO Liz Roberts at Press Conference on E. 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Many people need years, or even decades, to come forward, seek help, share their experience, and pursue justice. The reality is that #traumatakestime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laws have historically been out of step with the science of trauma and the realities survivors face. Over the years, Safe Horizon has led coalitions of advocates, survivors, and lawmakers, urging the New York State legislature to remove barriers to safety for victims of violence and abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After working tirelessly for decades, we celebrated a historic victory for survivors when the Adult Survivors Act (ASA) became law in 2022. The ASA made it possible for survivors of sexual violence to seek justice by filing a civil lawsuit against the person who caused them harm, even if the harm occurred many years ago. When the ASA's \u2018lookback window\u2019 closed on November 24, 2023, over 3,000 suits had been filed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is our hope that these lawsuits will finally spur lasting, meaningful change in how our society addresses attitudes towards sexual assault.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Safe Horizon, the Adult Survivors Act Coalition, and bill sponsors Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal proudly led the statewide, multiyear campaign for the ASA. We could not do this work without this collective support, courage, and determination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the lookback window is closed, we remain committed to fighting for more pathways to justice for survivors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On May 24, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Adult Survivors Act (ASA) into law, granting survivors of sexual assault an opportunity to heal and seek justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Adult Survivors Act created a special one-year look-back window, allowing survivors whose case or claim had expired outside the statute of limitations, and who were 18 or older when they were sexually assaulted in New York State, to file a lawsuit against the person who harmed them and\/or the negligent institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The one-year window allowed survivors to sue, even if they were already outside of the civil statute of limitations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ASA window opened on November 24, 2022, and closed on November 24, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over 3,000 lawsuits were filed under the ASA. Many people learned about this critical legislation through our PSA<\/a> and raised awareness using our social media toolkit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To watch an ASA Q&A session with our panel of lawyers and legal experts, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The ASA window may be closed, but we are proud of how many spoke up and advocated on behalf of survivors. Click here for a snapshot of all the outlets we were mentioned in.<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Adult Survivors Act","post_excerpt":"The Adult Survivors Act would help adult survivors of sexual abuse in New York State seek justice in the courts.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"safe-horizon-calls-on-lawmakers-to-pass-the-adult-survivors-act","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-10 14:49:31","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-10 18:49:31","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/?p=7611","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":9938,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2022-11-17 17:21:31","post_date_gmt":"2022-11-17 22:21:31","post_content":"The Adult Survivors Act (ASA) is legislation that creates a special one-year look-back window to allow individuals who were 18 or older when they were sexually assaulted in New York State to file a lawsuit against the person who harmed them and\/or the negligent institution.\r\n\r\nWe want every survivor to know about this new law. Help us let survivors know their rights by sharing this page and\/or the graphics on this page on social media or with your friends. For more information, you can check the official ASA page here<\/a> and share that as well.\r\n\r\nTogether we can help survivors find justice.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nWhat To Share<\/span><\/strong>\r\n #supportsurvivors <\/strong><\/p>","post_title":"Safe Horizon's Adult Survivors Act Social Media Toolkit","post_excerpt":"Use Safe Horizon's Adult Survivors Act social media toolkit to help sexual assault survivors know their rights.\u00a0","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"safe-horizons-adult-survivors-act-social-media-toolkit","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-10 13:55:07","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-10 17:55:07","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/?p=9938","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":9834,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2022-09-27 09:04:20","post_date_gmt":"2022-09-27 13:04:20","post_content":"More About the Adult Survivors Act<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Adult Survivors Act News Coverage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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