The New York City Council is set to override Mayor Eric Adams‘ veto of a significant bill aimed at allowing survivors of sexual abuse to pursue legal action against the city. This legislation, which passed unanimously in the Council last month, could revive hundreds of lawsuits and open a new 18-month “lookback” period for victims to file claims, even if the statute of limitations has expired.
The proposed measure would allow plaintiffs to petition the courts to reinstate numerous cases that were previously dismissed. These dismissals occurred when a judge determined that the city’s earlier version of its Gender-Motivated Violence Act did not permit victims to bring certain claims against institutions, including the city itself. Proponents of the bill emphasize that clarifications are essential to ensure that survivors are not barred from seeking justice due to technicalities in the law.
In his veto message on December 24, 2023, Adams expressed concerns that the legislation could expose the city to enormous financial liability. He claimed that the bill could cost the city as much as $1 billion, leading to potential cuts in essential services or necessitating tax increases. Adams accused supporters of promoting the bill under the influence of a single law firm with vested interests in the lawsuits.
“My administration attempted to work with the City Council to secure compensation for survivors in a fiscally responsible manner,” Adams stated. He criticized the Council for not engaging with alternative proposals during the legislative process, claiming that the financial implications were not discussed in earlier hearings.
Julie Menin, the incoming Council Speaker, countered Adams’ assertions, stating that the administration had failed to raise these financial concerns during the negotiations. “The mayor’s veto message suddenly mentions a price tag to the city that was simply never raised in their testimony at the hearing,” Menin commented. She highlighted the critical testimony from survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, which underscored the necessity of reviving these lawsuits.
The legislation is backed by a significant majority in the Council, with 41 of the 51 members sponsoring the bill. It was introduced following a ruling by a Bronx judge earlier this year that dismissed over 450 lawsuits from individuals alleging sexual abuse while detained in the city’s juvenile facilities.
As discussions about the bill progressed over several months, the city’s law department agreed to pause actions on other cases involving potential city liability for abuse. The law firm Levy Konigsberg LLP, representing numerous plaintiffs against the city, was specifically mentioned in Adams’ veto note. The mayor characterized the bill as “effectively a debit card for a single law firm to make a $300 million withdrawal.”
In response, Jerome Block, a partner at Levy Konigsberg, dismissed the mayor’s claim as an attempt to distract from the implications of his veto. “Mayor Adams is slandering lawyers in a transparent effort to deflect attention from his callous veto that is attempting to deprive survivors of their legal rights,” Block stated.
Attorney Jordan Merson, who represents survivors of sexual abuse, including victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, expressed shock at the veto. “The mayor and his team had ample opportunity to voice any concerns,” Merson noted. He emphasized that the bill would have allowed victims of Epstein’s abuse, including minors, to seek justice.
The City Council has the authority to override a mayoral veto with a two-thirds majority vote. Supporters of the bill believe they will easily achieve this threshold, given its unanimous passage initially. The transition team for Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the ongoing situation.
