Charles H. Hickey, Jr. School Sexual Abuse
In its nearly 200-year-long history, the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School in Baltimore, Maryland, has faced hundreds of allegations of child sexual abuse by staff. The juvenile detention center has been at the center of multiple recent lawsuits that allege a culture of abuse and an institutional failure to protect vulnerable youth. If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse while at the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School, you have legal rights and options.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Overview of Charles H. Hickey Jr. School
The Charles H. Hickey Jr. School opened in 1850 as the first Maryland facility built to house juvenile offenders in a separate facility from adult offenders. Today, youth in the detention center receive behavioral services and attend school year-round. The school has faced issues and scrutiny for decades, and in the early 2000s, the U.S. Department of Justice found evidence of prevalent sexual abuse at the school and a lack of procedures to prevent such abuse.
During its years of operation, the school has received countless reports of child detainees who experienced sexual abuse by staff members. Many recent lawsuits against the school also target Maryland’s Department of Juvenile Services (DJS), which has been in direct control of the Hickey school for its entire history save for one period between 1991 and 2004. Lawsuits allege that the department failed at a systemic level to prevent abuse from occurring and failed to respond adequately when it did occur.
Reported Cases of Sexual Abuse at Charles H. Hickey Jr. School
MARCH 2025
In early March, a lawsuit filed against the DJS alleged that a former employee of the Hickey school sexually abused scores of children between the 1960s and 1990s. Nearly 70 now-adult men are named anonymously as victims in the complaint and allege they suffered years of abuse by the former DJS employee, who worked in multiple roles at the school. Survivors say the employee, who is now in his late 70s, bribed youth detainees with money and drugs before grooming and molesting them.
FEBRUARY 2024
A lawsuit filed in early February 2024 on behalf of 63 plaintiffs alleged rampant abuse at 15 DJS facilities, including the Hickey school. The allegations span from 1969 to 2017. Since Maryland’s Child Victims Act passed in 2023, the number of victims suing the state’s juvenile justice agency has surpassed 200.
DECEMBER 2023
Soon after the Child Victims Act passed, 37 men joined together to file a lawsuit regarding the sexual abuse they suffered as juveniles at the Hickey school. The lawsuit, filed against Maryland’s DJS, asserts that the state failed to protect children from decades of sexual abuse and ignored clear signs of abuse by guards, counselors, and other staff.
- Overview of Charles H. Hickey Jr. School
- Reported Cases of Sexual Abuse at Charles H. Hickey Jr. School
- Legal Rights and Statutes of Limitations for Survivors
- Reporting Charles H. Hickey Jr. School Sexual Abuse
- How to File a Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against Charles H. Hickey Jr. School
- Legal Support for Survivors of Charles H. Hickey Jr. School Sexual Abuse
- Want To Speak With A Lawyer?
Legal Rights and Statutes of Limitations for Survivors
In Maryland, there is no criminal statute of limitations for sexual conduct between correctional or juvenile justice employees and confined children, nor is there a time limit for sexual abuse of minors. That means criminal charges can be filed against perpetrators of these crimes at any time, no matter how long ago the crime occurred. Maryland previously did have a statute of limitations for civil child sexual abuse lawsuits, but the 2023 Child Victims Act eliminated that deadline and expanded the legal rights of survivors.
Maryland Child Victims Act
Governor Wes Moore signed the Maryland Child Victims Act into law in 2023, less than a week after the state’s attorney general released a report documenting rampant abuse by Baltimore clergy. The Act eliminated the statute of limitations for filing civil child sexual abuse lawsuits, and many survivors are now filing claimsafter years of suffering in silence. Though the act originated as a response to clergy abuse, victims of abuse in juvenile detention centers have also benefited from the elimination of the filing deadline.
Recent Legal Developments
MARCH 2025
On March 31, 2025, Maryland House Bill 1378 passed the House Judiciary Committee. The bill would impose strict new limits on child sexual abuse lawsuits against public institutions, setting a deadline of January 1, 2026, for filing claims against state agencies under the Child Victims Act.
Additionally, the bill would cut the potential non-economic damages cap in half for these suits, significantly reducing survivors’ potential compensation. This bill has pushed forward largely because Maryland is facing billions of dollars in liability stemming from juvenile detention center sexual abuse claims under the Child Victims Act.
FEBRUARY 2025
The Maryland Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Child Victims Act, solidifying the end of the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases in the state.
Reporting Charles H. Hickey Jr. School Sexual Abuse
If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse at the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School, one of the first steps you can take is reporting the abuse to your local law enforcement or social services departments. Additionally, you can report suspected child abuse directly to Maryland’s Department of Human Services.
Maryland also has a Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit tasked with investigating the needs of children under the state’s jurisdiction, including reporting on allegations of abuse. To confidentially report issues with the Hickey school, email Marvin Stone, the Juvenile Justice Monitor assigned to this facility, at marvin.stone@maryland.gov.
Prior to filing any reports, we highly recommend speaking to an experienced Maryalnd juvenile detention center abuse lawyer. They can help ensure your rights are protected throughout this process.
How to File a Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against Charles H. Hickey Jr. School
If you suffered sexual abuse at the Hickey school and are interested in filing a civil lawsuit against the school, the state’s Department of Juvenile Services, or another institution that enabled your abuse, there are several steps to take to begin the process.
Reporting the abuse to police and the appropriate state departments will allow an investigation to begin, potentially producing evidence you can use to prove your claim. Gather any reports or evidence you may already have to supplement this process. We can connect you with a law firm experienced in these types of cases to help with this process for free today.
Legal Support for Survivors of Charles H. Hickey Jr. School Sexual Abuse
Helping Survivors is on a mission to help heal, educate, and empower people who have been impacted by sexual assault and abuse. We connect survivors to law firms that can file civil lawsuits against individuals, institutions, and organizations to compensate victims for the abuse they suffered. If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse at the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School, you have rights and options, and you should be able to assert them in full confidence if you choose.
While every survivor’s experience is different, every survivor deserves to understand their legal rights and options. Helping Survivors is here to help by answering questions and connecting those impacted to experienced law firms who can help them take the next best step forward in their journeys.
Want To Speak With A Lawyer?
