OHEL- more like Oh Hell

Since the New York State Legislature passed the Child Victims Act in late January 2019, our Firm has filed numerous cases on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse. Many of the defendants that have been named in these suits are organizations and institutions that were supposed to protect children, unfortunately they failed at the one thing they promised to do.|

Among these defendants is the OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services located in Brooklyn, New York. As stated on their website, OHEL claims that it “is the most trusted haven of safety and support, providing services that help build lives, and strengthen families, homes and communities” but they did not provide safety for many children in their care including our client. In fact, they were negligent and did not protect children from their own staff members. Our client, as alleged in his complaint, was abused by the infamous Simcha Adler who worked as a counselor at OHEL. We say infamous because this is not the first allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor for Adler.

In fact, Simcha Adler was arrested and convicted for his criminal acts. You will find Simcha “Stephen” Adler’s name listed on the Jewish Community Watch’s “Wall of Shame” and on the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services’ “Sex Offender Registry.” Simcha Adler used his position as a counselor, employed by OHEL, to groom and sexually abuse innocent children, including our client, that were placed in OHEL. When our client was 9 years old, he was placed in OHEL Children’s Home in Borough Park, Brooklyn. While there, he met Simcha Adler who was a counselor. As alleged in the complaint, when our client was 10 years old, Simcha started to pay extra special attention to him and would treat him to the movies and bowling. That led to inappropriate touching which eventually led to Adler forcefully sodomizing our client. After the second rape, our client reported Adler to the house mother who took no immediate action. OHEL ignored the complaints against Adler for more than a year. OHEL made it a priority to minimize the severity of Adler’s heinous behavior and just “swept it under the rug.”

Our client’s childhood was stolen from him by a pedophilic predator and irreparable damage has been done. Now our client has the opportunity to fight for his dignity and regain some shred of hope that he lost long ago when he was sexually abused at OHEL Children’s Home. Victims and survivors of sexual assault should persevere, and continue to fight for the justice they deserve. The first step a victim can take to achieve justice requires you to immediately consult and hire a knowledgeable, compassionate and dedicated attorney who knows how to aggressively protect your rights.

At Hach & Rose, LLP, we are committed to achieving that justice. We will work thoroughly and passionately to represent those who felt they could not protect themselves. If you or a loved one has suffered from any form of sexual assault, it is crucial to act now. Do not hesitate to contact the New York sexual abuse lawyers at Hach & Rose, LLP today. Our compassionate, caring, and experienced attorneys will work diligently to uncover whether criminal charges, a civil lawsuit – or both – can be filed against the perpetrator or negligent third party who is responsible for the abuse and its damages to you.