Judge Throws Out Three Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Against Kevin Clash
Kevin Clash, the puppeteer known for voicing Sesame Street’s Elmo, got some good news today.
A judge has thrown out three lawsuits claiming that Clash had committed sexual abuse, explaining that the men exceeded the statute of limitations in filing their complaints:
Judge John Koeltl threw out the suits brought by Cecil Singleton, Kevin Kiadii and a third, unnamed accuser. Clash, 52, resigned in November after 28 years portraying the beloved character on “Sesame Street,” amid allegations he’d engaged in sexual relationships with underage boys.
“The complaints in these cases were filed more than six years after the defendant’s conduct with each plaintiff ended,” Koeltl wrote in his decision.
The judge didn’t accept the plaintiffs’ claim that they weren’t aware of the “adverse psychological and emotional effects” of their encounters with Clash until last year.
“While the plaintiffs may not have recognized the extent of their injuries, they were aware of the defendant’s conduct towards them and could have brought claims,” he wrote.
The dismissal of the suits is the latest wrinkle in an ongoing saga that began last June, when Singleton contacted Sesame Workshop, claiming that Clash had pursued a sexual relationship with him when he was just 16.
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