Model Alliance, Survivor Advocates Respond to Allegations of Sexual Misconduct Against Scott Stringer

NEW YORK, NY (04/28/2021) (readMedia)-- Earlier today, Jean Kim came forward with her story of mayoral candidate Scott Stringer forcibly touching her while she was an unpaid intern on his campaign 20 years ago. Stringer offered to secure her a role as "the first Asian District Leader on the Upper West Side" in exchange for her silence.

Sara Ziff, the Executive Director of the Model Alliance, and survivor advocates Ambra Battilana-Gutierrez, Marissa Hoechstetter and Alison Turkos issued the following response:

"We will continue to hear reports of men who abuse their power until the Legislature acts to provide protections to workers, and give recourse to survivors. It's only Wednesday, and already we have a Governor issuing blanket denials of nearly a dozen reports of misconduct, and a mayoral candidate claiming to have had a consensual relationship with an unpaid intern on his staff which she has denied, describing very clearly an attack. The problem is systematic, the solution is a survivors' rights package which includes the Adult Survivors Act. It's not enough to put out empty statements praising survivors or admiring our 'bravery' for refusing to stay silent. Survivors who are time-barred from criminal justice need the option of legal recourse to hold their abusers -- and the institutions that enabled them -- to account."

About the ASA

The ASA - (A.648 Rosenthal/S.66 Hoylman) - is modeled on the Child Victims Act, providing a one year lookback window to survivors who were abused when they were 18 years old or over. If passed, adult survivors would have one year in which to file a civil claim -- no matter how long ago the abuse happened -- even if the statute of limitations has expired.

The ASA applies to Article 130 crimes, including Rape 2 and 3, criminal sex acts, among others and incest offenses in Section 255. Just like the Child Victims Act, the ASA would also waive the 90 day notice of claim requirement to bring a case against a public institution.

In 2019, recognizing that the statute of limitations were artificially low and not in line with what experts understand about trauma, lawmakers voted to extend civil statute of limitations for the several felony offenses including Rape in the second and third degrees prospectively to 20 years. However, the law does not apply retroactively, meaning that certain survivors who were abused prior to 2019, still have only between 1-3 years to file a civil lawsuit.

According to the science of trauma, it can take survivors years -- even decades -- to process sexual abuse. When those survivors are ready to come forward, it may be too late due to restrictive statute of limitations on sex crimes. For some survivors who may have reported within the statute of limitation, but failed to get a resolution in the criminal justice system the ASA provides a further pathway to justice.

The ASA will give all survivors, including people who were formerly incarcerated, individuals abused by an intimate partner, and disabled survivors, a much needed chance to hold their abusers accountable.