Equal Rights Advocates 50th Anniversary Logo

Rolling Stone: ‘I’m Not This Ghost’: Tommy Lee, Bill Cosby Sex Assault Accusers Await New Law to Revive Lawsuits

October 11. 2025


Policy Director & Deputy Legal Director Jessica Ramey Stender is featured in a Rolling Stone Magazine article speaking about ERA-sponsored California bill AB 250, which was part of our 2025 Stronger California Agenda. The bill, which extends the deadline for sexual assault survivors to file complaints if a coverup was involved or attempted, was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October and will go into effect January 2026.

Jessica Ramey Stender, deputy legal director at Equal Rights Advocates, says beyond the bill’s clear stance on perpetrator defendants, she’s also impressed with its more liberal, two-year filing window, saying it would offer potential plaintiffs a much broader chance to go after private businesses purportedly engaging in cover-ups.

“Sexual assault is one of the most traumatic experiences a person can endure, so sexual assault survivors often take a lot of time to even be able to come forward and speak out about what happened to them, let alone take action to hold the perpetrator or any other entity accountable,” she says. The new window proposed by AB 250 could be life-changing for survivors, she says, even as it helps “expose patterns of abuse to help prevent future harm by creating accountability within institutions,” she says.

Read the article.

 

Stay Connected & Take Action

Continue to EqualRights.org

Black and white photo of a protester speaking into a microphone and raising their fist in the air.

Gender Justice in your inbox

Add your email address for quick, easy ways you can fight federal attacks on our rights.

Stay connected

Legal Advice & Resources / Consejos y Recursos legales

Know Your Rights

Learn what your rights are so you can navigate your situation and make the best decision for you.

Your Rights at Work
Your Rights at School

Contact Us

Our Advice & Counseling helpline is temporarily at capacity. Unfortunately we are unable to take any new inquiries at this time. We will reopen the helpline as soon as possible. In the meantime, please see our Know Your Rights guides for helpful information.

Apply for Legal Help

Learn More

We have trained legal advocates and lawyers on staff to guide you through your legal issue.

Conozca Sus Derechos

Aprende sus derechos para que puedas navegar su situación y tomar la mejor decisión para ti.

Sus Derechos en el Trabajo

Contáctenos

Posible que podamos proveer ayuda legal por gratis por los siguientes problemas en el trabajo o la escuela: discriminación basado en el género o por LGBTQI+, acoso sexual, asalto sexual, y discriminación basado en el embarazo o por ser padre/madre.

Contáctenos

Nuestro servicio de asesoramiento por teléfono está cerrado por ahora

En este momento, no estamos recibiendo solicitudes dejadas por un recado de teléfono. Sin embargo, usted puede someter una solicitud para una consulta por la manera de hacer clic en el links "Empleo" o "Educación."