Tennessee Sex Abuse Lawsuit Settlement

Victims of sexual abuse or sexual assault can file civil lawsuits against their abuser and other third parties, such as schools, churches, etc. Our sex abuse lawyers help victims get financial compensation by filing civil lawsuits against parties who negligently allowed the abuse to occur or failed to prevent it.

In this post, we will discuss the process of filing a civil lawsuit for sexual abuse in Tennessee. We will look at the relevant laws regarding sex abuse and the average settlement value of these cases. We will also look at the Tennessee statute of limitations for sex abuse cases.

• Tennessee Sex Abuse News and Updates

Filing a Civil Lawsuit for Sex Abuse in Tennessee

Tennessee law permits victims of sex abuse to bring civil lawsuits and seek monetary compensation. The right to bring a civil lawsuit is not contingent on whether the victim pressed criminal charges. Abuse victims can file a civil suit regardless of whether they reported the abuse to the police when it happened. It also doesn’t matter whether the abuser was convicted.

Victims can bring civil lawsuits for sexual abuse as long as they are presently willing to testify under oath about the facts of the alleged sexual abuse or assault. Other forms of evidence, such as medical records or fact testimony from other witnesses, can also support the victim’s testimony.

If you file a sexual abuse lawsuit in Tennessee, the case will be public record. However, you may be able to keep your name and identity confidential. Tennessee’s court rules allow victims to keep their names confidential and use “Jane Doe” or initials in court filings.

Definition of Sex Abuse in Tennessee

Under Tennessee law, any non-consensual sexual touching or contact made with the intent of sexual gratification is considered sexual abuse or sexual assault. In the context of a civil lawsuit, sexual abuse is referred to as the tort of sexual battery. It generally has the same definition and meaning as criminal offenses.

For sexual contact to meet the definition of sexual battery, two essential elements must be present: (1) sexual intent, and (2) lack of consent.

The sexual intent element is established by showing that the defendant engaged in sexual contact with the clear and express purposes of sexual gratification or arousal. An innocent or accidental sexual touching does not amount to sexual battery.

The second element is the absence of consent. Children do not have the legal capacity to give consent to any sexual touching. This means that any intentional sexual contact with a minor by an adult lacks consent and qualifies as sexual battery.

Holding Third Parties Liable for Sexual Abuse in Tennessee

If someone has been sexually abused or attacked, they have the right to sue in civil court to get compensation. This means they can ask for money to make up for what happened. Even if they didn’t tell anyone about the abuse or didn’t go to the police, they can still take legal action.

But who can they sue? Well, they can sue the person who hurt them, but that might not lead to getting any money, especially if that person is already dead or in jail.

The main aim of a civil lawsuit for sexual abuse is to hold another party responsible. Holding third parties liable is the key to financial success in these cases. This could be someone else who was supposed to protect the victim but didn’t. For instance, if the abuse happened at school, the school might be responsible for not stopping it or looking into complaints about the abuser. Other examples of these responsible parties could be churches, organizations like the Boy Scouts, or any group where the abuse took place because they didn’t take proper care to prevent it.

Tennessee Juvenile Detention Center Sex Abuse Lawsuits

A growing number of victims who were sexually abused while they were inmates in Tennessee juvenile detention centers are now filing detention center sex abuse lawsuits against the state. In Tennessee, the state Tennessee Department of Juvenile Justice (TDJJ) is tasked with administering justice and correctional services to juvenile offenders. TDJJ has a number of private residential facilities in local communities that they try to use for most juvenile offenders.

For male juvenile offenders who have been deemed delinquent and sentence to incarceration, there are 2 juvenile detention facilities in the state:

• John S. Wilder (Wilder) Youth Development Center – Somerville, TN
• Mount View Academy – Dandrige, TN

The Wilder YDC is a state operated facility. Mount View Academy, however, is a privately operated facility that has a long term contract with TDJJ.

Investigations by public and non-profit agencies, as well as an overall increase in public awareness, has revealed that sexual abuse and victimization of inmates at Tennessee juvenile detention centers is a widespread problem. Reports have shown that staff members at these facilities have preyed on the juvenile inmates and exploited them for sexual gratification. Meanwhile, TDJJ and the state have ignored complaints and done nothing to protect inmates.

A growing number of victims are now filing lawsuits against TDJJ and the state for sexual abuse at juvenile detention centers. These detention center sex abuse lawsuits assert that TDJJ negligently failed to perform its duty to ensure the safety and well being of inmates. The lawsuits claim that TDJJ was negligent in the way in which it screen, hired, trained and supervised staff members. They also assert that TDJJ negligently failed to implement policies, procedures, and infrastructure that could have prevented inmates from being victimized.

What Drives Settlement Amounts and Jury Payouts in Tennessee Sex Abuse Lawsuits?

The value of a Tennessee sexual abuse lawsuit depends on multiple factors that influence both settlement negotiations and potential jury verdicts. While every case is different, certain key elements consistently drive compensation higher in sexual battery and child molestation cases across the state.

1. Severity and duration of the abuse
   The more severe and prolonged the abuse, the higher the potential settlement or jury verdict. Cases involving repeated molestation or long-term sexual battery tend to result in much larger payouts than those involving a single incident. The psychological and emotional trauma from ongoing abuse often justifies higher damages.

2. Impact on the victim’s life
   Juries and settlement negotiations consider the long-term consequences of the abuse. Victims who suffer from PTSD, depression, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse issues, or an inability to maintain employment often receive higher compensation. If ongoing therapy, psychiatric care, or medical treatment is necessary, these future costs are also included in damages.

3. Age of the victim at the time of the abuse
   Cases involving very young victims, such as children under 10, typically result in higher settlements and jury awards because younger children are considered more vulnerable. Tennessee juries have historically awarded more substantial damages when the victim was a child at the time of the abuse.

4. Strength of the evidence
   The stronger the evidence, the higher the potential settlement. While many child molestation cases rely primarily on the victim’s testimony, additional evidence—such as medical records, eyewitness statements, internal reports from institutions, or past complaints against the abuser—can significantly increase a case’s value.

5. Institutional negligence and cover-ups
   When schools, churches, youth organizations, foster care agencies, or daycare centers fail to prevent or report abuse, they can be held accountable in civil lawsuits. If there is proof of cover-ups, ignored warnings, or failure to investigate complaints, these cases often result in massive jury awards and settlements.

6. Venue (where the lawsuit is filed)
   Tennessee jury awards vary significantly by location. Plaintiffs in larger metropolitan areas like Nashville (Davidson County), Memphis (Shelby County), Knoxville (Knox County), and Chattanooga (Hamilton County) tend to receive much higher verdicts compared to cases tried in rural counties.

• • Best venues for plaintiffs: Davidson County (Nashville), Shelby County (Memphis), Knox County (Knoxville), and Hamilton County (Chattanooga).
  • More conservative or defense-friendly venues: Many rural counties, we don’t want to name them, where juries are historically less likely to award large damages.

7. Public perception and media attention
   Cases that attract local or national media attention put additional pressure on defendants to settle. Organizations like churches, private schools, or large employers hate the bad publicity that travels with sexual abuse lawsuits. They often want to avoid the reputational damage of a public trial, leading to larger settlement offers.

8. Tennessee jury trends
   Tennessee juries are increasingly willing to punish institutions and perpetrators in sexual abuse lawsuits, especially in the major metropolitan areas. Large verdicts in child sexual battery and molestation cases have sent a message that jurors are taking these claims seriously in 2025. The key is getting past the statute of limitations.

9. Quality of legal representation
   Having an experienced Tennessee sex abuse lawyer is critical.

   The best sex abuse attorneys know how to build strong cases, maximize settlement value, and fight for punitive damages in cases involving institutional negligence. Large defense law firms representing churches, schools, and corporations aggressively fight these cases, so victims need a strong legal team to push for full compensation.

Statute of Limitations for Tennessee Sex Abuse Lawsuits 

Tennessee’s statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases is one of the worst in the country for sex abuse that occurred before July 1, 2019.

Most sex abuse victims who contact our lawyers were abused before 2019. So we will discuss the statute of limitations for abuse that occurred before and after 2019.

Statute of Limitations for Tennessee Sex Abuse Lawsuits (Pre-2019 Abuse)

Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104, survivors of child sexual abuse must file their lawsuit within one year after turning 18. This means they have only until their 19th birthday to take legal action against both the perpetrator and any third party, such as a school or church, that may have enabled the abuse. This is a ridiculously short timeframe to seek compensation.

Can Be Extended to Two Years

There is a limited exception when criminal charges are filed against the abuser. If a criminal prosecution is initiated within one year of the abuse, the survivor’s civil lawsuit deadline is extended to two years instead of one. However, under T.C.A. § 28-3-104(a)(2), this only applies if the prosecution was brought by law enforcement, a district attorney, or a grand jury—meaning if the survivor reports the crime but charges are not filed, they still face the one-year limit. Of course, few victims are saved by this additional year.

Discovery Rule in Sex Abuse Lawsuits

Tennessee does recognize a discovery rule, which theoretically allows survivors to file a lawsuit within one year of realizing their injuries were caused by the abuse.  Tennessee law in all tort claims is that the statute of limitations does not begin to run until the victim knows or reasonably should have known of the connection between the abuse and their injuries. However, Tennessee courts have applied this rule narrowly in sex abuse lawsuits. The rule is that the statute of limitations begins running once the victim is on inquiry notice—meaning they knew they were abused, knew the identity of the abuser, and understood their relationship to the institution. This standard often leads to claims being dismissed even when the victim was unaware of the full extent of their injuries.

Repressed Memory

Further restricting survivors’ legal options, Tennessee courts have explicitly rejected extending the statute of limitations based on repressed memory. In Doe v. Coffee County Bd. of Educ., 852 S.W.2d 899 (1992), the court ruled that repressed memory alone is not enough to toll the statute, stating that any further changes would have to come from the legislature.

Narrow Path to Justice

Unlike states that have enacted lookback windows to allow survivors of past abuse to file lawsuits regardless of when the abuse occurred, Tennessee has refused to update its laws. This means survivors who come forward after their 19th birthday lose their right to sue forever—no matter how strong their case is or how much evidence they have.

This raises an important question: why does Tennessee continue to shield abusers and the institutions that enable them? Jurors in 2025 will not look the other way when presented with evidence of institutional cover-ups, but Tennessee’s outdated laws ensure that many cases never even reach a jury. Until the state modernizes its statute of limitations, countless survivors will be denied justice while those responsible remain unaccountable.

Tennessee’s Statute of Limitations for Child Sex Abuse After 2019

Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-116, the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims in Tennessee changed significantly for abuse that occurred on or after July 1, 2019.

Victims of child sexual abuse now have until their 33rd birthday (age 18 + 15 years) to file a civil lawsuit for sexual assault or abuse against both the perpetrator and any third party (such as a school, church, or institution that allowed the abuse to happen).

Additionally, if the survivor did not realize at the time of the abuse that they suffered an injury or illness because of it, they have three years from the date they discover the harm to bring a lawsuit. However, Tennessee courts have historically interpreted this discovery rule very narrowly, requiring clear evidence that the victim only recently became aware of how the abuse affected them.

While this extension provides more time than the old one-year rule, it still falls short compared to many other states, where survivors have until their mid-40s or even longer to file claims. Tennessee also does not have a lookback window that would allow victims of older abuse (before 2019) to file claims if they previously missed the deadline. This means that many survivors are still left without a path to justice.

Tennessee earned a grade of D on our report card for state sex abuse statute of limitations laws.

Tennessee Sex Abuse Settlements and Verdicts

When people hear about sex abuse lawsuits, they often assume that settlements and jury verdicts result in massive payouts. After all, child molestation and sexual battery cases often involve horrific trauma, lifelong psychological damage, and clear wrongdoing by perpetrators and the institutions that failed to protect victims. But when you look at the settlements and verdicts we are about to give you, the numbers seem surprisingly low. Why aren’t these cases settling for millions more?

The truth is that the best cases—the ones with strong evidence, sympathetic plaintiffs, and clear institutional negligence—rarely see the light of day. These cases are almost always settled quietly and confidentially, often for significant sums, with strict non-disclosure agreements that prevent the details from ever being released. The cases that do become public are usually the ones that either went to trial and received a jury verdict or involved lower-value claims. So do not read too much into these settlements.

Below are some sample case results:

• $65,000 Settlement: A woman claimed that she was sexually abused by a reverend from the Diocese of Nashville when she was a student at Aquinas College. She claimed that the reverend, who was her “spiritual advisor” got her drunk and then sexually assaulted her.
• $5,000,000 Settlement: The male victims claimed he suffered posttraumatic stress after being sexually molested by the male defendant physician. The plaintiff contended that the defendant administered to him an injection which rendered him unconscious and caused a loss of memory and that he was molested while he was under the influence of the medication. He further contended that the defendant willfully violated his constitutional rights. The defendant admitted that he gave the plaintiff a vaccine injection, but denied liability and disputed the nature and extent of the plaintiff’s injuries.
• $1,500,000 Settlement: A man alleged that he was sexually abused by Reverend Juan Carlos Duran of the Diocese of Memphis. He claimed that Rev. Duran sexually abused him when he was 14-years-old at a Church in North Memphis (the Church of the Ascension). The plaintiff hired a Memphis sexual abuse lawyer who was able to secure him some justice.
• $10,000 Settlement: A 4-year-old male was allegedly sexually molested by an x-ray technician at the defendant hospital. The plaintiff contended that the defendant technician insisted that the plaintiff’s father leave the room while the x-rays were taken, then proceeded to lock the door and molest the plaintiff. The plaintiff further contended that the defendant should have known of the employee’s propensities, was notified of prior incidents involving the employee and that they failed to terminate the employee upon notice and failed to properly screen and supervise their employees.
• $60,000 Settlement: An 11-year-old female student suffered posttraumatic stress disorder after she was sexually molested by a nonparty male student in a classroom while in the care of the female and male codefendants under the jurisdiction of the defendant school board. This incident occurred when the plaintiff was left alone in the classroom while her teachers took other students to the cafeteria. The plaintiff’s mother contended that the defendant failed to properly hire, train and supervise its teachers, that the plaintiff was left alone in an office for approximately 4 hours and requested to write out what happened, that she had a disability that affected her writing ability and that she was denied access to her mother.
• $75,000 Settlement: A 6-year-old male suffered emotional distress when he was sexually molested by another male minor at the defendant daycare center where both were enrolled. The plaintiff contended that the defendants failed to provide reasonable supervision of all children in their care and failed to prevent the physical and emotional abuse of their students. The plaintiff further contended that the defendants had full constructive knowledge of the aggressor child’s perverse nature, that he had sexually assaulted a female minor the day prior to this incident and that no action was taken by the defendants to remove him from their facility or to protect the other daycare students from his attacks.
• $8,500 Settlement: A 12-year-old female alleged that she suffered emotional distress after she witnessed the male defendant bus driver, employed by the codefendant, sexually molest several students on a bus trip organized by the third-named defendant. The plaintiff contended that she was subjected to and saw others subjected to repeated offensive and inappropriate sexual touching and molestation. The plaintiff further contended that the codefendant and third-named defendants were vicariously liable for the actions of the defendant based on the doctrine of respondeat superior.
• $955,000 Settlement: A 12-year-old female suffered child abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder after she was sexually molested by a nonparty perpetrator who was a counselor at a camp the plaintiff attended, run by the defendant (United Methodist Church). The incident occurred when the nonparty counselor kidnapped, roped, sodomized and left the plaintiff naked and handcuffed. The plaintiff contended that the defendant failed to properly hire, train and supervise its camp staff, failed to perform thorough background checks prior to hiring prospective employees, that they knew of should have known of his history of mental problems. The plaintiff further contended that the defendant failed to provide proper supervision to ensure the safety of the minor children entrusted to its care.”

Tennessee Sex Abuse News and Updates:

February 14, 2025: A pastor in Tennessee has been arrested and charged with multiple offenses related to child abuse.  Dwight Daniel Suttles, 69, was taken into custody in Sevier County following an investigation by the Pigeon Forge Police Department, which began in September after a complaint was filed. Authorities allege that he abused at least five children under the age of 13.Suttles has served as the pastor at Liberty Baptist Church in Pigeon Forge since 2009, which is terrifying.

Court documents state that the alleged abuse began in 2017 with two children and continued for two years. Between November 2018 and 2021, he is accused of having inappropriate contact with another child, as well as a separate instance involving a different child between June 2018 and 2021. Additionally, between August 2018 and September 2023, another individual reported being abused.

Suttles is now facing a six-count indictment, which includes one charge of child rape and five counts of aggravated sexual battery.

February 5, 2025: A Fayetteville man was arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into child sexual abuse material. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation initiated the probe in 2023, leading to the recent arrest. Details about the charges and the individual’s identity have not been disclosed.

January 8, 2025: The Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled against the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in a defamation case. The court decided that the SBC could not use a religious doctrine to exempt itself from court review in a lawsuit filed by an East Tennessee minister alleging defamation.

December 17, 2024: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced the results of “Operation Autumn Shield,” which led to ten arrests and identified 19 victims of online child sexual exploitation and sextortion. The operation underscores the ongoing efforts to combat child exploitation in the state.

June 24, 2024: Rev. Juan Carlos Garcia-Mendoza, originally indicted in February on multiple sexual abuse charges, now faces additional charges in a new indictment. The associate pastor at St. Philip Catholic Church in Williamson County was charged on June 5 with two more counts of sexual battery. Garcia-Mendoza, ordained in 2020, was removed from ministry in November 2023 after a teen reported improper touching. Following an investigation by a former FBI agent and a diocesan review, the findings were given to the Franklin Police, leading to his arrest. He remains jailed on a $2 million bond with a court date set for July 8.

June 15, 2024: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville reached a mediated settlement with a woman who alleged sexual abuse by Reverend Anthony D. Punnackal during a grief counseling session. While Reverend Punnackal was acquitted of criminal charges in November 2023, the civil lawsuit was settled out of court, underscoring you do not need a criminal conviction to get compensation in Tennseese sex abuse lawsuits. The terms of the settlement were not publicly disclosed.

Contact Us About Tennessee Sexual Abuse Lawsuits

If you were the victim of sexual abuse and want to file a sex abuse lawsuit in Tennessee, contact us today at 800-553-8082.