August 26, 2024
Contact: CJCC Press Team | press@justice4survivors.com | 978-807-7950
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York – Today, survivors of childhood sexual abuse, lawmakers including Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, and advocates seeking full restitution for child sexual abuse survivors – held a protest and press conference on the first day of the U.S. Open, where insurance giant CHUBB is shelling out millions of dollars to sponsor the event instead of paying out sex-abuse cases across the country. The advocates are calling on the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to cut ties with CHUBB and do more to protect survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and New York State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal joined survivors, advocates, the Coalition for Just and Compassionate Compensation, Children’s Justice Campaign, ChildUSA, The Army of Survivors, Enough Abuse, and SNAP outside Arthur Ashe Stadium to demand the United States Tennis Association (USTA) immediately drop CHUBB Insurance as a sponsor.
CHUBB has come under fire for refusing to pay out claims in child sexual abuse cases in New York and across the country, delaying justice for thousands of survivors of child sexual abuse. Survivors, advocates, and lawmakers are demanding immediate action from the USTA, which itself has been recently condemned for failing to protect players from sexual abuse.
State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal address the press conference.
State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, the original sponsors of the Child Victims Act, said: “The New York State Legislature passed our Child Victims Act to give adult survivors of child sexual abuse an opportunity to seek justice. Yet nearly five years on, not a single claim by survivors against the Archdiocese of New York has been resolved due to the outrageous foot dragging and finger pointing between the Catholic Church and its insurance company, Chubb, causing even greater harm to survivors. Today, we join survivors to say, ‘enough is enough’ and demand that the Archdiocese and Chubb reach a settlement to allow these claims to go forward without further delay.”
Members of the coalition who had purchased U.S. Open tickets entered the event briefly to visit the CHUBB installation inside of the venue. Their presence was met by USTA staff who threatened to remove them from the grounds without cause.
Coalition members at the CHUBB installation in the U.S. Open before being threatened with removal.
“Chubb Insurance has set the standard of greed,” said Kathryn Robb, National Director for Children’s Justice Campaign at Enough Abuse. “They continue to line their pockets while denying justice to thousands of survivors of child sexual abuse. We won’t rest until this company is held accountable.”
“CHUBB is profiting off of the suffering of survivors of childhood sexual abuse – and the U.S. Open is happily taking their money,” said Stephen Jimenez, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and longtime advocate, author, and journalist. “We’ve fought too long to be stonewalled by insurance company greed – shame on the U.S. Open for giving CHUBB Insurance a global platform. Instead of shelling out millions on tennis tournaments, it’s time for CHUBB to stop refusing compensation in child sexual abuse cases ”
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