Levy Konigsberg Partner Anna Kull and four lawsuits brought by women who were sexually abused by the director of a Syracuse rehab clinic have been featured in an article from Syracuse.com.
As reported in the article, Anna and our firm represent four women in lawsuits that claim Robert Rosolanko engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior in 2018 while he was director of Conifer Park, an outpatient rehab facility in Liverpool, Onondaga County. Two of the suits were filed under the New York Adult Survivor’s Act, a law that creates a temporary 1-year lookback window for victims to sue abusers and institutions over abuse that occurred at any time in the past.
In their lawsuits, the women claim that they were intimidated by Rosolanko’s authority as director of Conifer Park and that they feared jeopardizing their treatment if they refused or reported his advances.
As Anna told Syracuse.com, state law prohibits addiction counselors and other healthcare providers from engaging in sexual activity with current or former patients due to the authority these professionals have over their care. “There’s a real power imbalance,” she noted. This means that any form of sexual activity between patients and counselors/providers is illegal.
In addition to facing civil suits, Rosolanko was also the subject of a Justice Center investigation into the first two cases, which found the evidence showed abuse likely did occur, and had his alcohol and substance abuse counseling certification revoked in 2020. Findings from the investigation were also forwarded to the Onondaga County DA, but no criminal charges have been filed.
Despite the absence of criminal charges, victims of sexual abuse can still file and prevail in civil lawsuits, which focus on liability and recovering financial compensation for damages. Victims’ Rights Attorney Anna Kull and our firm will continue to help our clients fight for justice as the litigation moves forward.
You can read the full article featuring Partner Anna Kull and our lawsuits here.
