Monthly Archives: May 2013

Time for Boy Scouts of America to confront the difference between pedophilia and homosexuality, says Kosnoff Fasy

May 30, 2013

“SEATTLE, May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Attorneys suing the Boy Scouts of America for child sexual abuse and failing to protect children said Thursday that today’s vote to remove a ban on gay scouts will clarify the sharp difference between homosexuality – a preference for members of one’s own sex – and pedophilia, a major crime.

Today’s vote could lead to better safety for children, if the Boy Scouts learn from past mistakes, said Tim Kosnoff , a Seattle attorney who has represented more than more than 100 boys and men sexually victimized within scouting. Kosnoff and his law partner, Dan Fasy , now represent more than 80 clients nationwide suing the Boy Scouts for sexual abuse.

“Parents should not fear gay scouts. They should fear the organization’s refusal and failure to protect their boys from the real threats – sexual predators and an organization that has routinely covered up and not reported crimes to law enforcement.”

During the past decade, Kosnoff studied the Boy Scouts’ historical records, more than 30,000 internal files documenting allegations of child sexual abuse by adult scout volunteers. Kosnoff spent years compiling a database of sex-abuse claims using records from court cases.

Kosnoff found among nearly 50 years of the so-called “perversion files” or “ineligible volunteer” files:

* The problem of sexual abuse in scouting was not related to homosexuality but pedophilia – a completely unrelated phenomenon.

* The overwhelming percentage of files revealed that married men, outwardly “heterosexual men,” are responsible for the vast majority of child sexual victimization within scouting.

* Abusers often had a past history of being abused themselves as children.

* Teenage gay boys represented a miniscule threat, something found in academic research, as well. (The Boy Scouts themselves consulted four experts in the field of child sexual-abuse prevention, and all four conveyed a nearly universal opinion that homosexuality is not a risk factor for the sexual abuse of children, the Associated Press reported in April.)

“The Boy Scouts have evaded analyzing their own files, to the detriment of children’s safety,” Kosnoff said, noting that pedophiles with prior abuse records were allowed to return to serve as scout leaders.

“The real issue is the Boy Scouts’ refusal and failure to implement reasonable safeguards that will protect all boys from sexual victimization by anyone.”

For years, Kosnoff has advocated for criminal background checks for adult scout volunteers, a “two-deep” leadership rule – mandatory two adults present at all times – and swift reporting of abuse claims to police, rather than self-styled investigations or no investigation by the Boy Scouts.

Gay boys should experience the same benefits that scouting offers to all scouts: honor, dignity, respect, patriotism, and the opportunity to learn leadership and outdoor skills, said Dan Fasy , Kosnoff’s law partner.

Fasy noted that the Boys Scouts of America was chartered by Congress in 1916 and today still receives substantial federal subsidies. Fasy called upon the Boy Scouts of America to stop discriminating or forego taxpayer subsidies.

“It is fundamentally un-American to deny opportunities to some boys,” Fasy said. “It’s just wrong.”

Tim Kosnoff is a former deputy prosecutor and longtime trial lawyer. In the past 16 years, Kosnoff has represented more than 1,000 victims of childhood sex abuse. He has secured over $250 million in settlements and judgments for abuse survivors.

Dan Fasy is a partner at Kosnoff Fasy and has represented hundreds of injured clients.

Contact:
Tim Kosnoff , child sexual-abuse attorney/legal expert: 425-830-8201
Dan Fasy , child sexual-abuse attorney/legal expert: 206-462-4338″

Source:PR Newswire  

Minnesota Senate OKs Bill Easing Lawsuits for Child Sexual Abuse

May 10, 2013

Change in Minnesota Law would:

Drop the statute of limitations for civil suits involving child sexual abuse going forward.

For older cases, it would create a three-year window for past victims to file lawsuits against abusers and institutions that may have failed to protect them

Posted on May 10, 2013

“This is a huge development. Other states likely will follow.”Tim Kosnoff
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/05/08/politics/senate-passes-bill-easing-lawsuits-for-child-sexual-abuse

Our attorneys are highly experienced in child sexual abuse law and offer free initial consultations to potential clients. We are also willing to assist other attorneys in sexual abuse cases. Please call 206-257-3590, or email us directly. Conversations will be kept confidential, and even if you are unsure about a lawsuit, often we can direct you to the assistance you need. You will be treated with compassion and respect.

Toll free: 855-529-4274
Tim Kosnoff, direct: 425-837-9690
Dan Fasy, direct: 206-462-4338
Kara Tredway, direct: 206-453-0579
Kosnoff Fasy, Seattle office: 206-257-3590

Alleged Abuse by Hawaiian Priest Has a Familiar Ring to It

May 7, 2013

By TIM KOSNOFF

Cops know it as “M.O.” In Latin it’s “modus operandi” and in English it’s “mode” or “method” of operation.

In matters of child sexual abuse, the M.O. is often eerily the same. Such, according to recent allegations, was the case pertaining to Father George DeCosta, a priest in Hawaii. DeCostsa is listed in a database of priests publicly accused of childhood sexual abuse in Hawaii, as tracked by BishopAccountability.org. http://www.bishop-accountability.org/
The temptation is to use the cliché, “Stop us if you’ve heard this one.” At our law firm we’ve heard the familiar sounding account many times, and the details are as predictable as recurring bad dreams.

The following is from the Aug. 22, 2012, Hawaii Tribune Herald:
The child sex abuse scandal surrounding the Catholic Church has hit close to home, with fingers of accusation pointing at a priest revered in the local community.

Father George DeCosta, who for almost three decades was the parish priest at Malia Puka O Kalani Catholic Church in Keaukaha, has been accused of abuse by two Hawaii men. The two were students at Damien Memorial High School in the 1960s when DeCosta was the chaplain there. [One of the men] was a sophomore at Damien in 1968. …

The [victim] states that DeCosta provided him with alcohol, ‘insisted they go swimming’ and ‘forced’ him into skinny dipping. He wrote that he became ‘incapacitated’ and when he awoke DeCosta was ‘masturbating’ him and ‘fondling his testicles.

The victim went on to describe physical, emotional and psychological injuries due to the sexual abuse by DeCosta, including, but not limited to: dreams, nightmares and flashbacks. The 74-year-old DeCosta, denied the allegations. DeCosta retired from Malia Puka O Kalani in 2002 and is living in Volcano.

So here it is yet again: the familiar sequence. A trusted Catholic Church official is alleged to have been a pedophile. An alleged victim comes forward and gives vivid details of child sexual abuse, a modus operandi familiar to those of us who deal with such cases. Then the alleged perpetrator denies the charges and, until the claims are adjudicated, the accused — his reputation tarnished, if not ruined — nonetheless remains free.
There suddenly is one less priest “revered in the local community.”
And the victims? They’re left, here again, with shattered lives during seemingly every waking hour. Then, when they sleep, there are the predictable, recurring bad dreams. We’re here to help.

Our attorneys are highly experienced in childhood sexual abuse law and offer free initial consultations to potential clients. We are also willing to assist other attorneys in sexual abuse cases. Please call 206-257-3590, or email us directly. Conversations will be kept confidential, and even if you are unsure about a lawsuit, often we can direct you to the assistance you need. You will be treated with compassion and respect.

Toll free: 855-529-4274
Tim Kosnoff, direct: 425-837-9690
Dan Fasy, direct: 206-462-4338
Kara Tredway, direct: 206-453-0579
Kosnoff Fasy, Seattle office: 206-257-3590

Kosnoff Fasy welcomes Kara Tredway, our newest associate

May 6, 2013

By Dan Fasy

Tim Kosnoff and I are extremely please to announce the arrival of the newest member of our firm, Kara A. Tredway. She is a 2011 distinguished graduate of the McGeorge School of Law at University of the Pacific, Sacramento.

Kara will be particularly valuable to our firm as we take on clients from California, where she is a bar association member, as she is here in Washington state.

To give readers an idea of Kara’s background and aspirations, we posed a series of questions:

Why did you decide to go to law school?

I decided from a very young age that I wanted to become a lawyer. My parents were always supportive but also told me to keep an open mind about finally deciding on a career path. Throughout high school, college and beyond I continued to hold fast to my dream of becoming a lawyer. In all that time, I never once truly considered any other path for myself, so I decided to fulfill my dream and entered law school in 2008.

Did you go to law school directly after graduating from college?

I did not enter law school immediately after undergrad. After my undergraduate work, I pursued a master’s degree abroad in the socio-legal field. I spent a year living in a small university town in the Basque region of Spain taking classes with professors and students from across the world. It was a truly wonderful experience. After completing my masters, I worked as a legal assistant so that I could have first-hand knowledge of the inner-workings of a law firm. I thought gaining that experience was essential to help me determine whether pursuing a career in the law was the right thing for me.

What helped you decide where to attend law school? And why two law licenses – California and Washington?

Originally, I thought I wanted to focus on international human-rights law and the school that I chose, University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, has an excellent international-law program. Also, I was considering the possibility of working with politics on some level and, since McGeorge is located in the state capital, Sacramento, it seemed like a good fit for my interests.

As I was nearing the end of my third year at McGeorge, I was not 100-percent sure whether I would practice in California or Washington. I am from California originally and I honestly never thought that I would live anywhere else. However, during my time in law school my husband was pursuing his own educational goals and was working toward earning a doctorate in political science from the University of Washington.

In Seattle, I always got the feeling that I was home. We finally decided that we wanted to live permanently in Seattle, so that is what prompted me to take the Washington bar exam. However, you never know where you will be years down the road, so I decided to take the California exam first just to have some options down the road.

Did you know what area of law practice you wanted to pursue?

My goal for wanting to practice law is to make a difference in people’s lives. I truly believe that plaintiff’s work is the best way to accomplish that goal so it has always been on my priority list in terms of practice areas. If I was not working on the civil side then I think I would consider being a criminal prosecutor for a city or county.

Kosnoff Fasy has a victim-advocacy focus. What about this approach appeals to you?

Anytime someone takes the step to hire a lawyer, he or she is usually in a difficult situation. Now, add in the complexity of wanting to hire a lawyer because you were a victim of childhood sexual abuse. There are so many emotions tied into bringing this type of case and, for many of our clients, it is an incredibly difficult thing to do.

What I appreciate most about Kosnoff Fasy is that the partners have recognized the need for a special kind of advocacy for victims of childhood sexual abuse and have structured their firm around that need. I appreciate that Kosnoff Fasy is singularly committed to seeking justice for victims of childhood abuse.

What do you most hope to accomplish during your first year?

I would like to see my work directly help those who have been victimized. I cannot imagine anything more powerful or rewarding than that.

Welcome, Kara!

Our attorneys are highly experienced in childhood sexual abuse law and offer free initial consultations to potential clients. We are also willing to assist other attorneys in sexual abuse cases. Please call 206-257-3590, or email us directly. Conversations will be kept confidential, and even if you are unsure about a lawsuit, often we can direct you to the assistance you need. You will be treated with compassion and respect.

Toll free: 855-529-4274
Tim Kosnoff, direct: 425-837-9690
Dan Fasy, direct: 206-462-4338
Kara Tredway, direct: 206-453-0579
Kosnoff Fasy, Seattle office: 206-257-3590