Every child deserves a high-quality education provided in a safe place by trustworthy teachers and administrators. In addition to violating rights and causing immense harm, sexual abuse in educational settings breaches these implicit promises, and it can therefore serve as the basis for a civil lawsuit. You can file this on your own behalf as a victim of unlawful sexual assault or as the parent of a child betrayed by people who were supposed to care for them.
Either way, Connecticut school sexual abuse lawsuits can be challenging on both legal and emotional levels, and they are not proceedings you have to or should try to go through alone. By working with a capable and compassionate sexual abuse attorney from Phillips Law Group, you will be able to pursue the best possible case result while minimizing additional stress for yourself and your loved ones.
Are School Administrators Liable for Sexual Abuse by Faculty?
One of the most important things to understand about lawsuits relating to sexual abuse in Connecticut schools is that an individual abuser is not the only person who could hold civil liability for causing children harm. In many situations, it is possible to hold principals of individual schools, school district administrators, and potentially other third parties liable for their negligent failure to protect a child in their care from sexual abuse.
Depending on the circumstances, this could entail holding a school administrator vicariously liable for their employee’s misconduct in the course of their employment, or directly liable for substandard hiring practices, lax supervision of employees, or failure to take misconduct allegations seriously enough or to report them to local law enforcement. Furthermore, schools may be liable for the misconduct of school employees who are not teachers, such as athletic coaches, janitorial staff, or contracted security guards.
Filing Time Limits for Childhood Sexual Assault Claims
As of 2025, Connecticut General Statutes §52-577d gives people who experienced sexual abuse while under the age of 21 up until their 51st birthday to file a civil suit over damages stemming from that abuse. However, if a parent wishes to file a civil suit on behalf of their minor child over sexual abuse in a Connecticut school, they would generally be bound by C.G.S. §52-577 and only given a maximum of three years to start legal proceedings after first discovering their child was abused.
In addition, there is no statutory filing deadline for lawsuits over sexual abuse if the perpetrator has been criminally convicted on first-degree sexual assault or first-degree aggravated sexual assault charges related to the abuse in question. A member of the Phillips Law Group team can answer questions about what deadlines may apply to a specific case during a private initial meeting.
Speak With a Connecticut Attorney About a Possible School Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
It is a singularly devastating experience to learn as a parent that your child has been subjected to sexual abuse from a school faculty member, to say nothing of how harmful the abuse itself can be. As upset as you may be in that moment, however, staying calm and proactively enforcing your child’s right to civil recovery could be vital to protecting their long-term best interests and ensuring they have the best quality of life possible despite what was done to them.
The team at Phillips Law Group can help you hold both abusers and the people who enabled them accountable for their misconduct. Please get in touch with them today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation and discuss potential Connecticut school sexual abuse lawsuits.
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