Press
Published Opinions
March 23, 2024
Opinion: Colorado voters should have the chance to give child sexual abuse victims a greater voice
It is bad enough that predators and other bad actors snatch the voices of young children. Let’s not let the General Assembly take away the people’s voice to weigh in on this public health crisis.
Let the people vote — for the children of Colorado.
November 22, 2023
A Red Warning for Justice for Survivors
The Red Mass emanates a flashing red light, traveling through a dense fog of uncontested church history, blurring the boundary lines of church and state. A time-worn tradition does not legitimize its pontifical practice. The light beams reach far beyond their rightful place, jeopardizing the honor of our system of separation of powers and the purpose of checks and balances. Some argue that the justices, judges, and legislative leaders are attending in their private capacity rather than as representatives of the court or legislature. Nonsense. If the justices seek guidance for the upcoming court session and attend in their state-issued, taxpayer-purchased robes, they are clearly in attendance as a governmental agent.
Let’s call it what it is—soft lobbying disguised as prayer.
August 22, 2023
The Court’s Pause: A Necessary Change for Victims
Why should the debtor be given federal statutory protection from legitimate legal claims based on the debtors’ very failure to protect victims who are simply seeking justice? Who should our federal bankruptcy laws serve? It appears some of our United States Supreme Court Justices may be asking similar questions… This moment of pause and review by the Court creates the perfect occasion for our congressional leaders to pass legislation that corrects the misuse and abuse of Chapter 11. Congress, too, must commence its own review, and act now, not later.
September 29, 2022
Iowa gives child sex abuse survivors very little time to sue abusers. Some are trying to change that
The number one thing I hear from survivors more than anything else is, “I just don’t want this to happen to another child.” It’s not about the money. It’s about accountability and protecting children now and into the future… If survivors can’t come forward in a civil court and identify their perpetrators, it’s very simple: kids are in danger. Because when we have hidden predators, kids are in danger.
September 20, 2022
Justice should be blind but not mute: Rep. Frankel’s bill is a great next step
They say justice is blind, although history has made that adage highly debatable. But debate aside, justice certainly should not be mute — and yet, standard contractual clauses in sexual harassment and abuse cases make it so. It’s too often the case that not a word can be spoken once you’ve signed on the dotted line. Before the ink dries, the perpetrator is protected, and the survivor is effectively silenced.
May 1, 2022
Iowa’s dangerous safe base for abusers
The game of tag is one of the most classic outdoor childhood games. Although it has many versions, traditionally speaking, one player is “it” and must tag other players to eliminate them. Generally, players cannot be tagged out if they are on the “safe base.”
Kids often complain and holler that the safe base is unfair. They have a point.
March 30, 2022
The Queen and the Pawns—Ketanji Brown Jackson
In the game of chess Ketanji Brown Jackson is the Queen, the most powerful piece on the board, able to move in any direction and any number of squares. She has more diverse experience and movement than any sitting Justice: Ivy League law school, Supreme Court clerk, public defender, sentencing commission, district court judge, and court of appeals judge.
Don’t underestimate her.
March 6, 2022
KY is “the very worst” state for child abuse. These new laws could help us improve.
The very worst.
That’s where the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Children’s Bureau places Kentucky in the national statistics for child abuse. And it is not the first time Kentucky has received this shameful distinction. The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) collects and analyzes data voluntarily submitted by all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, the Bluegrass State sits at the bottom of the class in child protection, with alarming numbers of reported child neglect, physical and sexual abuse.
January 5, 2022
Hidden Harm and the Short Reach of Traditional Tort Remedies
Not all civil wrongs are the same. There are, of course, the classic ‘slip and fall’ and fender bender claims, and then there are the more catastrophic harms. Whether negligence, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, or trespass—there are degrees of egregiousness in the land of civil justice. Most would agree that none are as bad as the harm to children, especially negligent or intentional abuse of children, where the complicated and lasting damage of trauma transforms the neurobiology of the whole child—continuing the injury to young victims well into adulthood.
November 30, 2021
Appreciation: Phil Saviano was an unsung hero
Phil Saviano knew the truth.
He was a hero with an unstoppable voice. He refused to be silenced. In the face of great institutional and political power — he spoke, sometimes yelled, and never gave up. No amount of pressure or hush money could stop him. Again and again, he spoke up — for other victims of child sexual abuse, for truth, transparency and justice.
October 7, 2021
Ohio fails sexual abuse victims. Ohio State lawsuit dismissal shows how a predator wins
“Dreams were broken, relationships with loved ones were damaged, and the harm now carries over to our children.”
This is the experience of former Ohio State University swimmer Kent Kilgore, a sexual assault survivor of Dr. Richard Strauss — the now-deceased Ohio State team doctor who was found to have sexually abused at least 177 young male students.
October 5, 2021
This Republican senator won’t vote for a law to help victims of child sex abuse | Opinion
Politicians know that image is everything. And if they know what’s good for them, they need to know what’s going on around them – personally and otherwise.
August 2, 2021
I may not get lost spinning and twisting in the air as a world-class Olympic gymnast. I will never know the enormous pressure Simone Biles experienced this week and the weight she carried as the team leader of the United States Gymnastic team. Nor will I know the stress of the racism athletes of color have experienced.
February 13, 2021
Opinion: The Attack in the Judicial Proceedings Committee
After the unnecessary and disturbing mudslinging in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee (JPR) earlier this month, I have been thinking about the role of character and bravery in the work of lawmakers.
February 5, 2021
Kathryn Robb, Executive Director of USAdvocacy, joined JET 24 Action News
Earlier this week, Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar resigned after the Department of State failed to properly advertise a proposed constitutional amendment before the general election in November.
July 27, 2020
Trump Wished Ghislaine Maxwell 'Well.' For Abuse Survivors Like Me, The Injury Is Profound
“I just wish her well, frankly.”
The words by President Donald Trump to Ghislaine Maxwell hang in the air like a thick fog of insecticide, leaving every survivor of child sexual abuse and victim rights advocate choking on the outrageousness of his cold insensitivity. I, too, am peeling back the thin casing of the real message, and am aghast.
July 3, 2020
Lawmaker muted victims of childhood sex abuse
If something doesn’t feel right, it likely isn’t. Kids know this. In the name of justice children raise their voices, often kicking and screaming. In fact, most will complain even when the imbalance is in their favor.
Cognitive scientists report that children have a sharp sense of fairness; the pleas from their internal scales of justice, balancing right and wrong, fair and unfair, are active at an early age. Every parent has heard he thunderous protest “that’s not fair!”
Unless the child is silenced.
June 8, 2020
Viewpoint: Extending CVA window will move New York forward
New Yorkers know how to rise from the ashes of tragedy and begin anew. There was renewal after 9/11 and revitalization after hurricane Sandy. They don't just recover; they improve.
May 14, 2020
What New York still owes those abused as children: Gov. Cuomo took a big step; now, go further
The Supreme Court of Nassau County upheld the Child Victims Act against a constitutional attack, as we expected. Time to return to what the survivors need now.
We had the privilege of working closely with Gov. Cuomo and his terrific staff on the crafting and passage of this law. As the country is now witnessing, he is an authentic leader with a focus on fairness and facts. He has an instinct for the right public policy.
April 9, 2020
When Children Stay Home—A COVID-19 Consequence
School districts across the country have begun offering free meals for kids during this COVID-19 pandemic. Given the sweeping school closings and shutdowns, this is absolutely essential, especially for low-income and homeless children. Local leaders, like Mayor Bill de Blasio in New York City and Mayor Marty Walsh in Boston, deserve praise for pushing these plans. Some big corporations have stepped up, as well, flexing their social responsibility muscle. McDonald’s and Burger King are doing the right thing during this crisis by offering free meals to kids. Yet, it is worth noting that some essentials lost in this global crisis just won’t fit in that grab-and-go lunch bag. One of those essentials is safety.
March 25, 2020
As the country tries to grabble with the growing threat of the coronavirus, it is hard to believe that we have been in the midst of another epidemic for decades. It is a silent public health crisis that comes without fever, cough, or shortness of breath. Unlike COVID-19, older generations are not impacted by this epidemic, as it predominately strikes children, rendering them voiceless and permanently injured.
December 13, 2019
Truth and Consequences: Fighting for Fairness
Kathryn Robb, attorney, advocate and survivor talks about the recent and rapid improvements in statutes of limitations for sex crimes in states across the country, and why these changes are so sorely needed.
December 4, 2019
The good, the bad, and the ugly incomplete
Here is the good, and it is really good – but only for future victims of child sexual abuse. The Pennsylvania legislature extended the statute of limitations for civil suits based on child sexual abuse to the age of 55 and eliminated the statute of limitations for criminal actions for child sexual abuse.
November 18, 2019
Will Pennsylvania legislators leave victims of priest sex abuse out in the cold?
There is a dark chill in the air. And, it is not the advancing cold winds of Old Man Winter.
It is the bitter chill of injustice.
August 14, 2019
A law for Epstein’s victims: New York State opens the way to redress old wrongs
As the Jeffrey Epstein story inundates the press and social media feeds, I am continually struck by these five words: “Some as young as 14.” Many, if not most, of Epstein’s victims, were children.
August 13, 2019
There were times it seemed there’d be no justice, that the relentless agony of their sexual abuse as children would be ignored.
May 10, 2019
My Turn: Kathryn Robb: Safety of children outweighs constitutionality
The anchor of hope is the official Rhode Island seal and beautifully depicted in the state flag. An anchor, symbolizing safety, keeps ships secure in the harbor, safe from being swept away by dangerous winds and currents.
April 18, 2019
House-passed statute of limitations bills are ‘Trojan horses’ of reform. Here’s why | Opinion
When the Pennsylvania state Senate considers the duo of House Bill 962 and House Bill 963, respectively introduced by Reps. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks,and James Gregory, R-Blair, we should all consider re-reading Homer, as a cruel trick is sure to unfold at the feet of countless survivors of child sexual abuse.
January 25, 2019
As survivors of child sex abuse — one of us was raped by a Catholic teaching brother from age 10 to almost 14, the other by a family member from 9 to 14 — we have fought for a dozen years in the halls of political power to secure justice for victims and protect New York’s children from sexual predators. This civil rights movement will finally reach critical mass with passage of the Child Victims Act by the state Senate and Assembly today. Gov. Cuomo will shortly sign the bill into law.
April 1, 2019
Lawmakers Must Stop Cooperating in the Bishops’ Dirty Tricks
Just when everyone wants to believe that the Catholic bishops have turned the corner on child sex abuse, they pull another stunt to set back the progress for all child sex abuse victims. This time their chosen state was Maryland. They will continue to endanger children. It’s time for lawmakers to reject the bishops’ advice on any issue involving child sex abuse.