Firm News

Download DRZ Law’s Free Book for Parents and Victims of Sexual Assault As one of the few law firms nationwide to specialize in representing families of children who have been sexually assaulted, bullied and hazed, DRZ Law has published a free response handbook for parents on the critical issue of childhood sexual assault. Authored by partner Chris Dove, “Sexual Assault of Children in…

The Law Protects Public Schools That Won’t Take Action Against Sexual Abuse Under the law, public schools have certain immunities to lawsuits. The law also often imposes a cap on a public school’s liability, even when a jury finds a school responsible for harm to children. As the Associated Press reported in 2017: “The barriers are formidable, and can lead to long, grueling fights:…

A Culture of Secrecy Hides Private School Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Sexual abuse of students at private schools is far more common than most people realize. The epidemic of private school sexual abuse is possible only due to the culture of secrecy and reputation climbing of the schools. The public overlooks the problem for many reasons, but one of the most significant…

Students at Military Schools Face an Environment of Increased Numbers of Sexual Assaults Cadets around the country are reporting an increase in military school sexual assaults.  A survey was conducted of students at West Point, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy on the prevalence of sexual assault.  There has been a nearly 50% increase in reported incidents since 2016.  Over…

There Are Immediate Steps You Should Take to Protect and Treat Your Child (and Yourself).

Schools Can Hide Key Information From Student Victims of Sexual Assault How far can we trust our schools? Our sense of what is fair can turn to outrage when we hear how some students are treated after being victimized by sexual assault. It’s important to realize, however, that legal rules may limit what an assault victim is allowed to know. The Case of…

What Statutes of Limitations Mean for Child Victims of Sexual Abuse Above all, the American justice system strives to be fair. The federal government and most states have adopted a system called statutes of limitation to provide a measure of fairness to people who make bad decisions. A person who commits a crime or hurts someone else should not have to worry…

Heads Up: Some parents are finding that they cannot block their child’s access to social media access on school devices. Many schools now issue electronic devices, such as an iPad, to their students.  The question for parents is what control do they have to control or block their students’ access to social media through those devices?  As reported by Startland news, the answer may be…

Understand the Connection Between Bullying and Sexual Assault Sexual assault is a physical violation of someone’s bodily integrity.  The physical damage is undeniable.  But it is the psychological damage that cuts the deepest and becomes the hardest to heal from.  Both sexual assault and bullying are forms of psychological abuse. Bullying is intimidation and harassment that has the effect of humiliating and isolating a child from…

L.G. v. Columbia Public Schools, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 83348, Holds That Students Have Constitutionally Protected Rights During the School Day On May 12, 2020, U.S. District Judge Nanette Laughrey, declined to dismiss a wrongful detention lawsuit against a school resource officer and an assistant school principal, thus allowing the lawsuit to proceed. This suit stems from an incident in the Columbia…