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Kim Bergman and Tess Ramirez at the Kansas State Capitol
At A Case for Women, we know the power of one woman’s voice. Over the years, we’ve had the honor of walking alongside thousands of survivors of sexual assault as they navigate some of the hardest—and most courageous—decisions of their lives.
In this interview, we share the story of Kim Bergman, who was just 12 years old when her gymnastics coach, David Byrd, began abusing her. Despite confiding in multiple adults, including other coaches, no action was taken against her abuser. In 2018, Kim saw a late-night Facebook post from A Case for Women. Although she doubted it applied to her (given the criminal statute of limitations in Kansas had expired) she decided to reach out.
The choice to contact A Case for Women changed everything.
As a result of contacting ACFW, being connected to a law firm, and receiving a settlement, Kim has been able to become a powerful voice for survivors including cofounding an advocacy group now 12,000 members strong. She has also been instrumental in pushing for legislative changes in Kansas, including the elimination of the criminal statute of limitations for child sexual abuse and extending the civil statute of limitations for civil lawsuits related to child sexual abuse.
“You Don’t Have to Be Ready.
You Just Have to Believe You Matter.”
Kim’s words of advice for anyone considering joining a lawsuit.
The following is her story—in her words. It’s raw, honest, and full of insight into what it’s really like to pursue a civil lawsuit as a sexual assault survivor and how the process helped her reclaim her power, fight stigma and spark change in her community.
Q: How did you first connect with A Case for Women?
Kim found ACFW after a friend shared our social media post about taking legal action.
Kim: A friend sent me a Facebook post from a group called A Case for Women back in 2018. “I was up late—probably because I had a one-and-a-half-year-old at the time—and a friend sent me this post that talked about gymnasts and a lawsuit for sexual assault. Initially I thought, ‘This probably doesn’t apply to me, but I’ll check it out, so I sent in my contact information.’ The next day, someone from A Case for Women called and explained how this lawsuit was different than a criminal lawsuit. The goal was not to put the guy in prison but to put pressure on the entities that knew about the abuse and yet protected it (and him) for so many years. Before that, I had no idea what civil legal action even was. I was skeptical but figured it couldn’t hurt to try.”
Q: What made you move forward with the lawsuit?
Kim: I was hesitant at first. I loved gymnastics. “I didn’t want to go after the gym owners. I wanted to go after the coach who hurt me. But after I spoke to A Case for Women and the attorney they connected me to, I was struck by something they said:
“Organizations don’t change unless it hits them where it hurts. And that’s financially.”
That’s when I understood—this wasn’t just about me [or just one abuser]. It was about change.” That realization was the lightbulb that went off and caused me to move forward.
I didn’t want anyone else hurt. I wanted it to stop with me.
Survivor Kim Bergman in an undated photo.
Q: How much did you have to travel and how much did you have to spend to file your lawsuit?
Kim: I didn’t have to travel anywhere; in fact, I never left my home. The lawsuit was all handled through calls and emails. Also I didn’t spend a cent. The attorneys handled everything on a contingency basis and they only got paid after they were successful in my case. I think a lot of people have this idea that lawsuits require you to go to court and pay a lot of money – that was not true in my case.
Q: What were you most afraid of when going public?
Kim: I was most afraid of “the judgment. People hear civil lawsuit and automatically think, ‘Oh, she’s just doing it for money.’ Oddly enough that was the hardest part— talking about the civil lawsuit felt more taboo than talking about the abuse itself.”
“I have not met one survivor who was after money—we are all after healing …”
I wish there wasn’t this misconception that people who file lawsuits are money grabbers. Along my journey, I have not met one survivor who was after money—we are all after healing and changing the system so that predators have a harder time getting away with sexual assault. It’s astonishing how long many of these predators just get away with it.
If penalizing the institutions that harbored abusers is the way to go to stop this—then that’s what we should all be doing.
Q: Was there a moment that made you feel truly validated in your journey?
Kim: Yes. Getting that settlement award letter—that was the first time someone officially said:
“Yes, this happened to you.
And you were worth something.”
It’s weird to tie a dollar amount to it, but to me it wasn’t about the money. It was about being seen. That was the first moment I truly felt seen.
Q: Since the lawsuit, you’ve done so much advocacy work. Can you share more about that?
Kim: Reporters started calling because of the lawsuit. That’s how I met another survivor of the same coach. Together, we changed the law in Kansas. We got the civil statute of limitations extended from age 21 to age 31 and eliminated the criminal statute altogether.
“We were told it wouldn’t pass. They said, ‘Everyone will flood the courts with lawsuits!’ We proved them wrong.”
Q: You also helped build a Facebook group for survivors in Kansas, right?
Kim: Yeah—Protecting Kansas Children from Sexual Predators. We started posting alerts any time someone was arrested or charged. We also post parental safety tips and resources for survivors. One senator told us abuse “wasn’t really an issue” in his district. So, we made sure people saw how often it’s happening.
“We’re just two women in Kansas with Google Alerts and now we’ve got almost 12,000 members.”
Q: What would you say to someone who’s unsure if they should join a lawsuit?
Kim: You don’t have to be 100% ready. Just believe that you matter.
“The lawsuit was one of the most empowering things I’ve ever done—even though it was hard, even though it messed with my head a little. I needed it.”
Kim’s text with her friend once the lawsuit settled and she was awarded compensation.
