Troy Rafferty played a critical role in Securing a $20 million Compensation Package for Survivors of Abuse at the Dozier School for Boys and the Okeechobee School for Boys

The settlement, signed into law in 2024, was a result of a long-fought legal and legislative campaign, spanning over 16 years, to bring justice to the survivors who had endured physical, sexual, and psychological abuse between the 1940s and 1970s at two state-run reform schools infamous for their brutal treatment of young boys. 

Rafferty, alongside other attorneys, worked closely with survivors and state lawmakers, such as Rep. Michelle Salzman, to push for the passage of this legislation. The compensation package not only offers financial restitution but also includes provisions for awarding high school diplomas to former students who missed out on education due to their time at these institutions. Rafferty’s efforts were instrumental in convincing lawmakers of the urgency of the issue, highlighting the horrors faced by the boys, including beatings with a 20-inch mallet that left lifelong physical and emotional scars.

This settlement is seen as a landmark victory, bringing long-overdue acknowledgment and some measure of justice to those affected, although many survivors stress that no amount of money can truly compensate for the trauma they endured.