According to several lawsuits filed by former students of Amherst Central High School in New York, former guidance counselor John Koch may have used his position at the school to gain the trust of young women and abuse them.

NY Women Accuse Former Guidance Counselor of Sexual Abuse

According to the plaintiffs in the lawsuits, who are referred to by pseudonyms in order to protect their anonymity, as teenagers they suffered abuse at the hands of John Koch in the 1980s. During this time period, Koch was employed at Amherst Central High School as a teacher’s aide and guidance counselor. He later became the dean of the school.

According to one woman, Koch used one-on-one counseling sessions to groom her for future abuse. She claims that this abuse took place both on-campus and off, and lasted from when she was a sophomore until she was a high school senior. Additionally, she claims that other students were being abused by Koch during the same time period, and he viewed the high school as a place to acquire new victims.

Another woman who claims that Koch began abusing her when she was 14 or 15 made similar accusations against the guidance counselor in her lawsuit. According to her, she had been sexually assaulted by someone else and sought counseling from Koch in order to process the experience. However, Koch allegedly took advantage of her, and began assaulting her on campus and elsewhere. This abuse lasted for several years, until she was at least 19.

The three women claim that school officials and employees were aware of Koch’s abuse, but did not report him to authorities or protect students from being assaulted. They also claim that other students knew of Koch’s reputation for seeking out female students. The prolonged abuse suffered by the three sexual abuse survivors allegedly led them to develop long-term mental health problems, including emotional distress, anxiety, self-hatred, and depression.

Koch has denied the accusations filed by the alleged sexual abuse survivors. He retired in 2007 after a 35 year career at Amherst Central High School.

Justice for Sexual Abuse Survivors

Under a new law allowing New York sexual abuse survivors more time to pursue litigation against their abusers, many victims who were abused as children may be eligible to file charges against the people or entities who perpetuated or allowed their abuse.

The New York Child Victims Act was signed into law on February 14, 2019. Under the law, victims of childhood sexual abuse are now allowed until the age of 55 to open civil suits against their abusers. Previously, the age limit only allowed them until age 23. Victims are also eligible to pursue cases against organizations, rather than individuals.

The updates to the law also included the institution of a one-year look back window. This look back window opened on Aug. 14, 2019, and will close in August 2020. During the look back time period, victims of any age whose cases had expired under the previous statute of limitations are able to re-open their cases. Additionally, victims may be able to remain anonymous if they choose.

Hundreds of lawsuits have already been filed under the updated laws, with more expected throughout the year. Many of the victims who have opened their old cases under the law have waited years or decades to speak out about their abuse. Many of the accused abusers have already died.

Filing Sexual Abuse Litigation

New York is one of a handful of states that have recently expanded or updated their sexual abuse laws to allow sexual abuse survivors to pursue litigation. Many of the victims who have filed lawsuits under the updated laws have opened cases against doctors, Catholic Dioceses, the Boy Scouts of America, and other organizations.

While some victims have filed lawsuits against individuals, many of them have opened class action cases against youth athletic organizations, scouting programs, school, churches, or other entities that failed to prevent members or employees from perpetuating abuses against minors. Some of these organizations may have been negligent in their hiring processes, or in their failure to report suspected abuse.

If you are a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the person or entity who allowed the abuse to occur. Hiring an experienced attorney to review your case may be the first step towards pursuing justice and compensation. Victims may be able to recover financial damages for pain and suffering, as well as applicable medical expenses.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.