Iowa Survivor Says State's Civil Statute of Limitations Silences Victims

Good local journalism takes time. Your support helps make it possible. DECORAH — Sarah Hedlund spent years knowing that what happened to her was wrong without fully understanding that she was a victim. Hedlund, who says she was groomed and sexually abused by her adult high school English teacher in 2004, said it took her until "about four years ago" to recognize that she had been a minor and could not have consented to the relationship she believed she was in. Now, Hedlund is helping lead a new Iowa group of survivors and allies seeking to change the state's laws governing civil claims for child sexual abuse. Survivor Impact, launched this month, is a volunteer organization whose stated goal is to eliminate Iowa's civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse. The group is asking survivors and allies to educate themselves about the law, contact their state legislators and advocate for changes during the 2027 legislative session. Hedlund, who serves as a co-chair, said the organization grew out of her experience connecting with another survivor who was abused by the same teacher. The other survivor lived in Illinois, where she had different legal options available to her. The two women worked together for about two years to have the teacher's licenses permanently revoked in both Iowa and Illinois, Hedlund said. But the experience also showed Hedlund how dramatically survivors' legal rights can vary depending on where the abuse occurred. Sarah Hedlund The Illinois survivor could still pursue civil claims against the teacher and the school district where he had worked for 17 years, Hedlund said. Iowa's law prevented Hedlund from doing the same. "It was a sobering experience to finally be ready to come forward, name my abuser, only to find out the state of Iowa said I was 'out of time' and see my abuser slip through the justice system," Hedlund said in a news release from the group. Iowa lawmakers changed the state's civil statute of limitations this year. Under legislation that took effect July 1, a person generally has five years after turning 18 to bring a civil action related to sexual abuse that occurred while the person was a minor. The law also provides a five-year period from the time a person discovers both the injury and its connection to the abuse in cases in which the abuse was not discovered until adulthood. Previously, Iowa law generally gave minors one year after reaching adulthood to bring such an action, while providing a four-year discovery period in certain child sexual abuse cases. Survivor Impact wants lawmakers to go further by eliminating the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse. Hedlund said the group is also asking lawmakers to consider a two-year retroactive window that would allow people who already aged out of the statute of limitations to bring civil claims. The issue is particularly significant because research has found that disclosure of childhood sexual abuse can be delayed for years or even decades. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center cites research estimating that one in four girls and one in six boys experience sexual abuse before age 18. A 2014 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine estimated that 5,930 Iowa children ages 17 and younger were raped or touched without consent in 2009. Hedlund said delayed disclosure is common and can be especially complicated in cases involving grooming. In her own case, she said, her teacher told her that revealing the relationship could cause him to "lose his job and ruin his life." Even years later, when she disclosed what had happened, she said some former classmates told her she would "ruin his career." "I was like, no, no. He ruined his career," Hedlund said. "He chose to have sex with minors. I didn't cause that." Hedlund said Survivor Impact is intentionally concentrating on one legislative goal rather than attempting to address every issue involving sexual abuse and survivors' rights. The organization has no paid staff, she said, with volunteers donating their time and money to establish its website and other operations. Hedlund said she and co-chair Sally J. Kenney, a retired political science professor, want survivors from different circumstances to work together rather than organize separately around individual institutions or cases. "There's a lot of legislative work that needs to be done across the country," Hedlund said. "But I've really just, obviously, as a citizen of Iowa, become hyper-focused on the gaps here at home." The group is open to all sexual abuse survivors and allies, not only survivors of childhood abuse. Hedlund said that distinction is important because people who have not experienced abuse themselves can still be committed to preventing it and supporting survivors. She also said the organization wants to be mindful that sexual abuse affects people across demographic groups and that public discussions do not always reflect the experiences of male victims or female perpetrators. "We all need to be protecting children," Hedlund said. Iowa lawmakers have considered several proposals in recent years related to civil claims involving childhood sexual abuse. Sen. Janet Petersen, a Democrat representing District 18, has introduced legislation in previous sessions seeking to change Iowa's civil statute of limitations for sexual abuse claims. Lawmakers have also considered legislation connected to survivors seeking compensation through the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy proceedings. During the 2026 legislative session, the Iowa Senate unanimously approved a measure related to those claims, but the proposal did not advance in the House. Broader proposals to change or eliminate the civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims have also been considered, though those efforts have not resulted in the elimination of the statute. Hedlund said one recurring disagreement involves whether there should be a cap on financial compensation in civil cases. Hedlund opposes such a cap, arguing that financial liability can provide institutions with an incentive to change their practices, remove abusers and invest in education and prevention. "If you only have to pay a $10,000 settlement for civil suits, you're just going to pay that $10,000 to move on," she said. "You're not going to invest in the real amount of money that it's going to take to make real change." Survivor Impact similarly argues that civil lawsuits can help identify serial perpetrators and hold institutions accountable when they protect abusers. Hedlund said the group has spoken with lawmakers from both political parties and has consulted with attorneys over the years about different aspects of the issue, but Survivor Impact itself is not operating strictly as a legal organization. Instead, she said, its immediate objective is to prepare survivors and allies to communicate directly with lawmakers. Members will receive information about the difference between civil and criminal cases, the statute of limitations and the legislative process. The group plans to help participants arrange meetings with their state senators and House representatives. Hedlund said those personal conversations could make a difference when lawmakers consider legislation. "If they've been talked to by five survivors in their district, that's going to mean a hell of a lot more than something they've never heard about," she said. Survivor Impact plans to hold a Zoom meeting Nov. 9 with Kathryn Robb, an attorney and advocate on child sexual abuse statutes of limitations. The meeting will focus on statutes of limitations and potential objections to changing the law, according to Hedlund. Another training session is planned for December, although a date had not been set at the time of the interview. That session will focus on how a bill becomes law, Hedlund said. The group also hopes to organize days at the Iowa Capitol where survivors and allies can meet with legislators in person. Hedlund said she hopes the group's work will have an effect beyond the specific statute of limitations legislation. By learning how the legislative process works and contacting lawmakers directly, participants could become more comfortable advocating on other issues, she said. "We need to start being the people that are actually doing it instead of hoping," Hedlund said. "We need to be the good people instead of waiting for the good people." For Hedlund, the campaign is also personal. She said discovering that another survivor of the same teacher had different legal rights because the abuse occurred in another state changed the way she viewed Iowa's law. Her experience, she said, convinced her that survivors should not have to face different legal barriers based on where their abuse occurred. Survivor Impact is asking people interested in the effort to join its network, educate themselves about Iowa's law and talk with others about the issue. More information is available at survivorimpact.com. The stories that matter to you, delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe for free.