Gender-motivated violence is a widespread problem in workplaces and on university campuses. That is why New York State and New York City have been at the forefront of providing victims with valuable tools that recognize that victims of this type of injustice may not have had meaningful opportunities to hold the wrongdoers accountable 15, 20, or 30 years ago when the violence happened, especially if the alleged perpetrator of violence was a person of fame, wealth, or power. With today’s tools, victims have more opportunities to seek justice than ever, and that pursuit begins with contacting a knowledgeable New York City lawyer versed in gender-motivated violence cases.
The newest action against a prominent individual, which legal counsel for the alleged victim filed on March 3, names the perpetrator as one of her undergraduate schoolmates who was also a star on the university’s football team. The lawsuit named the man and the university the pair attended, Columbia.
The lawsuit has received coverage from numerous news sources. According to the lawsuit, the football star was not the only one who mistreated her during and after her alleged rape. An administrator at the students’ institution -- Columbia University -- allegedly told the woman that the school would not shield her identity if she took action against the man and that the woman “would be known as the girl who destroyed a Black man’s NFL dream.” That player -- Marcellus Wiley -- faced no consequences at the time and went on to achieve a successful professional playing career in the National Football League, then later in sports journalism, working for organizations like ESPN.
The alleged attack at the center of the woman’s case against Wiley and Columbia occurred during the fall of 1994 when Wiley was a sophomore, and the woman was in her first year at the university. (In 2023, a different alleged victim filed a similar lawsuit against Wiley for an alleged rape that occurred in the football star’s dorm room a few weeks after the author’s alleged rape happened.)
The GMVA and Its ‘Lookback’ Window
Although the author’s alleged rape happened more than three decades before her legal team filed her lawsuit (and the other alleged victim’s attack occurred more than 28 years before she filed,) the women’s cases are safe from dismissal on the grounds of filing too late. Because the alleged attacks happened on Columbia University’s campus in New York City, the women were entitled to avail themselves of New York City, including the Gender Motivated Violence Act.
New York City passed the GMVA in 2018 during the early days of the #metoo movement. In 2022, the city amended the law to establish a “lookback” window that allowed victims of gender-motivated violence to pursue claims regardless of how long ago the alleged violence took place. (After the lookback window closes, the violence underlying victims’ claims must have occurred within nine years of the complaint, absent exceptional circumstances that could alter the limitations period.)
The 2022 amendment initially established the lookback window to run from March 1, 2023, to March 1, 2025, but a subsequent extension has pushed back the final available filing date to March 25, 2025.
This extension means that victims still have a short time to take action even if the events of their case happened decades ago. If you believe you have been the target of gender-motivated violence, it is crucial to take action as soon as possible. That includes retaining skilled legal counsel. The knowledgeable New York gender-motivated violence attorneys at Phillips & Associates have extensive experience assisting clients like you. Our team understands that these are deeply personal matters and dedicates ourselves to providing each client with representation that is just as sensitive and thoughtful as it is zealous and powerful. Contact us online or at (833) 529-3476 to set up a free and confidential consultation.