A Webster family’s push to better protect survivors of domestic violence is now one step closer to becoming law on Beacon Hill.
For years, 25 Investigates has documented the Dabrowski family’s effort to close what they say is a dangerous gap in Massachusetts law — one that left their daughter, Amanda Dabrowski, without workplace protections after she survived a violent attack.
Amanda was assaulted by an ex-boyfriend who was also her coworker inside her Ayer home. She fought him off but was seriously injured and hospitalized.
Less than 48 hours later, she was fired.
“She had a doctor’s note saying she would have to be out of work for at least a week,” her father, Ed Dabrowski, said. “She never got that opportunity to present it because the next email she got was she was gone.”
Massachusetts law allows victims of domestic violence to take up to 15 days of leave — but those protections only apply to full-time employees. Amanda was a contract worker and did not qualify.
Since 2020, the Dabrowski family has repeatedly urged lawmakers to expand those protections to all workers, testifying on Beacon Hill session after session while 25 Investigates chronicled their push.
Now, a proposal aimed at closing that loophole has cleared a major step forward, passing unanimously in the Senate as part of a budget amendment. It still has to make its’ way through the budget reconciliation process with the House.
The effort has also drawn support from former Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, who is urging House lawmakers to act on the bill. In an interview with 25 Investigates, Murray called the fix straightforward and necessary as more workers are classified as contract employees.
“The law needs to be rectified, and the loophole closed,” Murray said, adding that survivors should not have to worry about losing their jobs while dealing with abuse.
Murray has also pointed to Amanda’s case as an example of why the change is urgent, saying the current system failed her after she took steps anyone would expect of a domestic violence victim.
Despite Senate support, the bill has repeatedly stalled in the House, where it has faced delays in committee and has yet to reach a full vote.
Amanda Dabrowski was later killed by her ex-boyfriend in a 2019 attack inside a crowded Worcester restaurant. A jury convicted him of her murder in 2023.
Her parents say their goal remains simple: to ensure no other survivor loses their livelihood while trying to heal themselves.
Read more from 25 Investigates and the latest on efforts to advance the bill.
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