Two women who were sexually assaulted by their ninth-grade social studies teacher at a Los Angeles-area public middle school in 1974 have each obtained seven-figure monetary settlements thanks to litigation filed by trial lawyers at Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel.
According to the two lawsuits, the school district and school personnel ignored signs during the 1974-75 school year that the teacher was grooming the two girls. An investigation by the Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel law firm revealed that the teacher was openly affectionate with them and would make arrangements for the girls to be alone with him in his locked classroom during lunch and after hours. In addition, he would give them gifts, call them by pet names, and inappropriately touch them in public, according to the lawsuit.
“These two women bravely came forward to shine a light on the school district’s pervasive failure to protect children in their care,” said Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel attorney Susan Ulrich. “We’re proud to have been able to help them obtain a measure of justice and help ensure that California schools take their responsibility to protect students more seriously going forward.”
Changes in California law provide new protections to victims of sexual abuse in schools, churches and other institutions.
In January 2023, California expanded its statute of limitations for sexual assault claims, allowing survivors to file legal claims for damages from sexual abuse that happened decades ago. The extension of time to file claims came in response to increasing awareness that school districts, churches, youth organizations like the Boy Scouts and other institutions have for generations failed to protect individuals in their care from sexual abuse. The change in the law has led to thousands of new claims by adults who had been victimized when they were minors.
Schools can be negligent and legally liable if they fail to properly screen and supervise staff or fail to promptly respond to complaints and warning signs of abuse. To protect students, schools are obligated to:
- Perform background checks on all employees, especially those with direct and unsupervised access to students.
- Check references and criminal histories and screen for any previous abusive behavior.
- Provide training related to student-teacher boundaries, warning signs of abuse and reporting procedures.
- Supervise and monitor student-teacher interactions.
- Promptly investigate complaints about teacher behavior, including inappropriate relationships and grooming behavior.
If you or anyone you know has any information concerning sex abuse at Los Angeles area public schools, please contact attorney Susan Ulrich at 424-217-2421 or sulrich@waterskraus.com.
