Sen. Matt Lesser Votes for Accountability for Victims of Fertility Fraud

 
HARTFORD – On Monday, State Senator Matt Lesser voted for legislation that would extend the statute of limitations for victims of fertility fraud. Sen. Lesser worked on this legislation alongside constituent Victoria Hill who has been an advocate for fertility fraud accountability after she discovered she was a victim of it.
 
Senate Bill 293 would extend the statute of limitations for someone who is the victim of fraud in fertility care or treatment to thirty years after the affected child turns 21, and it passed 39-1.
 
Victoria Hill and her mother are victims of a former Yale endocrinologist Dr. Burton Caldwell who allegedly used his own sperm to inseminate women he was treating, fathering at least 23 half-siblings without the knowledge or consent of their mothers. Caldwell died in 2024 during a lawsuit, but had admitted to donating sperm for his own patients while interning at the Yale School of Medicine in the 1970s.
 
“I am really grateful to my constituent Victoria for her strength and advocacy on this issue,” said Sen. Lesser. “What she and her mother went through should never happen. The abuse of power and trust of a medical professional is inexcusable and the impacts on the survivors will continue for generations. While there is certainly more to do to deliver accountability for victims of fertility fraud, this is a strong first step to ensuring an adequate timeline for them to recover damages.”
 

“After many years of trying, today’s vote on SB293 is a meaningful step toward justice, truth, and accountability for families affected by fertility fraud. It honors the courage of those who kept speaking out even when change, understanding and recognition of the harm came slowly,” said Victoria Hill, “I am beyond grateful to the victims, advocates, and lawmakers who have stood with me to achieve this, especially Senator Lesser.”

She continued, “When I initially discovered this truth, I attempted to seek counsel and recourse and was turned away because the legislation did not support this kind of claim and now no one else moving forward will have to feel the doors close as I did. No one should have to discover their story through a DNA test decades later and be told it’s too late for justice. Today, Connecticut took an important step forward— it clearly defines fertility fraud and ensures that future victims have a meaningful window to seek justice by recognizing fertility fraud in law and extending the time victims have to come forward due to the unique concealment that fertility fraud can be. Fertility fraud is a harm that is often discovered decades later for various reasons, this legislation begins to align our legal system with that reality.”