Maryland Training School Sexual Abuse
Reports of institutional sexual abuse often give other survivors the courage to come forward. Allegations have recently come to light about patterns of child mistreatment at the Charles H. Hickey, Jr. School, formerly the Maryland Training School for Boys.
Childhood sexual abuse, such as inappropriate touching or forced intimate actions, can have lifelong emotional, physical, and psychological consequences. If you are a survivor of this type of abuse, help is available. You have the legal right to pursue justice, and you don’t have to do so alone.
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- Dozens of survivors have recently spoken out with allegations of sexual abuse at the Maryland Training School for Boys, now the Charles H. Hickey, Jr. School. They report that staff members sexually abused them while they were in state care, often despite the victims reporting the abuse to facility leaders.
- Survivors of childhood sexual abuse have the right to take legal action against offenders. Maryland law now allows survivors to file a lawsuit at any time, regardless of when the abuse happened.
- Victims may file lawsuits against individual offenders or institutions that knew—or should have known—about the abuse and failed to stop it. These lawsuits can compensate for expenses such as therapy costs and physical or emotional pain and suffering.
Sexual Abuse Allegations at Maryland Training School
In the past few years, multiple survivors have come forward about their experiences in Maryland juvenile detention centers. In one complaint, filed in March of 2025, 69 individuals filed a sexual abuse case against a former staff member who worked as a housing supervisor at the Maryland Training School.
Another survivor entered the Hickey School in 2008, at the age of 16. In the following three months, two male staff members sexually assaulted him multiple times, despite his reporting the abuse to his therapists in the facility.
These men are among thousands suing Maryland for abuse they suffered in the state’s juvenile detention system.
Legal Rights and Options for Survivors of Maryland Training School
Survivors of sexual abuse have protected legal rights, including the right to report the abuse to state authorities. It is never too late, and every survivor’s report matters. It helps to create a paper trail that may bring the offender to justice and possibly prevent them from harming someone else.
Emotionally, it can give the impacted individual a sense of justice and empowerment.
There are several ways to report past sexual abuse. You can report to local law enforcement or contact the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, or DPSCS. If the abuse happened while the survivor was a minor in the detention system, you can contact the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services.
Another option is to contact the Maryland Department of Human Services, particularly if you have concerns about someone else’s safety at present. For example, if the perpetrator is still living and working in the community, local authorities should be aware of this.
How to File a Civil Lawsuit
Survivors of sexual abuse have the right to file a civil claim against the alleged offender. Unlike a criminal charge, which the state brings against an offender, a sexual abuse lawsuit is a personal action by the victim against those responsible.
Who Would You File Against?
As a victim, you may file a lawsuit against one or more individual perpetrators. You may also be able to bring suit against the Maryland Training Center if you have reason to believe it enabled the abuse.
Enabling means the detention center was somehow negligent, possibly failing to prevent the abuse or unacceptably handling the incident.
It’s important to specify what Maryland Training School could have done differently. For instance, you may claim that center administrators put victims at risk by failing to provide adequate staff supervision.
Alternatively, some survivors report that they told someone about the abuse, but there were no consequences for the perpetrator. If this applies to you, Maryland Training Center may be liable for the abuse that followed.
What Compensation Can You Recover?
Filing a lawsuit allows you to claim compensation for losses related to your abuse. Any related financial costs are relevant.
For example, if you paid for psychotherapy or counseling to help you process the abuse, you can include those costs as part of your suit. You may also be able to claim any lost wages or lost earning capacity if trauma affected your ability to work.
Additionally, pain and suffering damages are part of many lawsuits. This includes physical and emotional distress related to the abuse.
You don’t have to come up with a dollar value on your own. A lawyer can help you build your case and calculate how much you can claim.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for Filing a Sexual Abuse Lawsuit in Maryland?
Every state sets time limits, or statutes of limitations, for bringing criminal charges and filing lawsuits. Once the set time frame passes, victims can no longer file claims against their perpetrators. Sexual abuse allegations involving minors typically have special rules, partially because a person under 18 cannot file a claim on their own behalf.
Also, young victims often need more time to process what happened to them. Some take years or even decades to feel ready to take action against the perpetrator. Fortunately, Maryland recently changed its statute of limitations for sexual abuse of a minor, giving victims more time to come forward.
What Is the Child Victims Act?
In 2023, Maryland passed the Child Victims Act, which removed the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits. Under the new law, victims can file a claim at any time, regardless of when the abuse happened or how much time has passed.
What Does the Law Change?
Before the Child Victims Act, survivors had until their 38th birthdays to file claims against bad actors. The new legislation allows those previously barred from action to come forward with charges, while also removing time limits for more recent victims.
Exceptions to the Law
Many statutes of limitations have exceptions, such as an extension if the victim discovered the abuse after the fact or uncovered new evidence that might change the outcome. These types of exceptions are now mostly irrelevant, given the removal of all time limits for child sexual abuse lawsuits in Maryland.
The main exception under the current law is that only a living victim can file a lawsuit. Loved ones cannot file a lawsuit for abuse that occurred before 2023 if the victim has passed away.
How Can Helping Survivors Assist in Pursuing Justice?
If you have experienced sexual abuse at a juvenile detention center, you are not alone. Helping Survivors is here to provide you and others like you with an understanding of your rights and resources.
We aim to support you and help you claim your voice as a survivor. We are here to explain your legal options, provide no-strings consultations, and connect you with skilled representation when you’re ready to seek justice for what you went through.
Help starts here. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. There’s no obligation and no pressure at any time.
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