A panel of appellate judges called allegations of sexual abuse against boys at Yeshiva University’s prestigious high school “appalling,” but did not indicate if it would reinstate a $680 million suit tossed in January because the statute of limitations had expired.
Thursday’s arguments in Manhattan federal court centered around whether the statute of limitations kicked in when the crimes allegedly occurred — between 1969 and 1989 — or when the school’s coverup was made public in a 2012 newspaper report.
In January, Manhattan federal Judge John Koeltl said the victims — who range in age from late 30s to early 60s and reside as far away as Israel — waited too long to speak up.
Yeshiva’s attorney, Karen Bitar, admitted the abuse was one of the school’s “best kept secrets,” yet said the victims should have pursued legal action right away.
“At what point in time does an abused person have to protect their rights? Once you know you’re injured, you have to act,” she said.
The lawyer for the plaintiffs, Kevin Mulhearn, argued that it wasn’t until the Daily Forward published a story that the victims were aware there had been a coverup.