Maryland faces pressure to settle billions in child sex abuse claims amid historic deficit

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — More than a hundred alleged survivors rallied and shared claims of sexual misconduct that they assert occurred within Maryland agencies, demanding that state leaders address their claims with the same urgency applied to the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with their prominent national attorneys outside Baltimore City Hall on Wednesday morning, alleged victims, one after another, broke their silence about the traumatic claims they are urging the Maryland government to settle.

Nalisha Gibbs was one of the first to share her allegations of molestation that she claimed occurred while she was detained as a child at a facility of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services.

“My detainment was only supposed to be for 30 days, but the ramifications have lasted me for a lifetime,” Gibbs said. “The state of Maryland has been complacent and is stifling the voice of children for over 60 years.”

The state of Maryland needs to take accountability and stop sticking its head in the sand and realize that ignoring it is creating a hotbed of child abuse running rampant. The longer they wait, the longer the list will grow,” Gibbs added.

Thousands across the state have stepped forward since the Maryland General Assembly passed the Maryland Child Victims Act in 2023. The law removed the statute of limitations for incidents of sexual misconduct that occurred during childhood.

The law established a per-incident cap of $890,000 for abuse occurring in public schools or government entities. Private institutions, including churches, received an updated cap for child sexual abuse, raised to $1.5 million per incident.

In mid-January, Spotlight on Maryland first reported that state government and local municipalities throughout Maryland may face liabilities totaling billions of dollars due to child sex abuse cases being quietly assembled by numerous attorneys across the country.

Attorney Benjamin Davis, the managing attorney for the Baltimore office of Slater Slater Schulman, told Spotlight on Maryland in an interview before the demonstration that his firm is handling more than 4,500 child sex abuse cases. Davis also noted that approximately 3,000 of these misconduct claims allegedly occurred within Maryland's juvenile detention facilities.

“We collectively got together with a group of law firms, with so many clients, because it is time to really stand for justice, so we all did that together to make sure our clients’ voices are heard,” Davis said. “The 3,000 clients that we represent is just a small fraction.”

Spotlight on Marylandobtained emails in early February involving 55 legal professionals from some of the nation’s largest law firms representing clients in Maryland child sex abuse cases. The author wrote they were unhappy with the ongoing negotiations with Maryland officials, saying that the group’s lobbyist needed to urge Gov. Wes Moore to advocate for a settlement.

“While technically they gave us a number for 4,000 cases, it was not anything resembling a real offer,” an attorney wrote. “In the meantime, we will begin pushing litigation. As well, on Monday we will discuss a comprehensive media plan with the intent of shining a light on the real life Survivors we represent as well as showing how the State had no intention of compensating these Survivors.”

During the demonstration, Spotlight on Maryland asked Davis how he believes the state can finance potentially billions of dollars in child sex abuse claims while contending with a historic $3.3 billion deficit and a possible looming recession. When pressed, he said that he was unsure whether Maryland taxpayers would shoulder the financial burdens of a large-scale settlement.

We believe strongly that the state of Maryland can pay what it wants to pay,” Davis said.

The architect and lead sponsor of the Child Victims Act, Del. C.T. Wilson, D-Charles County, proposed an amendment in early February to the law he helped create. Del. Wilson’s amendment, as currently filed, would set a deadline of January 1, 2026, for claims to be filed against the state.

After four canceled committee hearings essential for advancing the legislation, the bill has not been rescheduled for consideration. Del. Wilson’s amendment is unlikely to progress during this legislative session, as it did not receive a hearing by Crossover Day on Monday.

Crossover Day is the unofficial deadline for bills to move to the opposite chamber in hopes of becoming law.

Back at the demonstration, Jerry Block, an attorney with Levy Konigsberg, told Spotlight on Maryland he is grateful for Del. Wilson, pointing to his key role in passing the Child Victims Act. However, the New York City-based lawyer cautioned state lawmakers against altering the law.

“They need to support sexual abuse survivors,” Block said. “They need to understand that when the state is the wrongdoer, when the state has violated public trust, when adult staff members have perpetrated sexual abuse on children, then the state has to be held to account.”

Block said the purpose of Wednesday’s rally was to allow child sex abuse victims to be heard but also to “expose what we see as a double standard on the part of the state, and specifically, Attorney General Anthony Brown.”

“In 2023, the attorney general issued a bombshell report holding the Catholic church accountable for horrific sexual abuse of children and calling the Catholic church out for the coverup, emphasizing that they should be held responsible,” Block said. “But now, when the state is the perpetrator, when the state has been responsible for sexually abusing thousands of children and covering it up themselves, the attorney general is not supporting the survivors, he is not taking responsibility.”

“The state is not above the law. The state is not above the Child Victims Act. This is a law that the attorney general championed and supported,” Block added.

The Maryland Office of the Attorney General published a 456-page investigative report in April 2023, which said that more than 600 children were sexually abused by at least 156 adults employed by the Baltimore Archdiocese. In September 2023, the church filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, anticipating the costs of compensating hundreds of victims.

Maryland’s constitution requires state lawmakers to pass a balanced budget annually.

David Roman, a fiscal analyst with the Maryland Department of Legislative Services, issued similar warnings to state lawmakers just days after Spotlight on Maryland reported on the potential large-scale financial exposure to taxpayers.

“There is nothing in the budget to make any sort of settlement payments; however, it is very possible there will be a settlement reached before the end of session,” Roman said. “[Y]ou all will be asked to find the money to make the first settlement payment, which could easily be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Attorney General Brown’s office denied Spotlight on Maryland’s comment requests late Wednesday afternoon, citing “pending settlement discussions.” Gov. Moore’s office and Del. Wilson did not acknowledge or respond to questions about the rally, allegations from attorneys, or purported misconduct incidents raised by alleged victims.

Follow Gary Collins with Spotlight on Maryland on X. Do you have news tips on this story or others? Send news tips to gmcollins@sbgtv.com.

Spotlight on Maryland is a joint venture between FOX45 News and The Baltimore Sun.