David M. Ring of Taylor & Ring is representing victims of the teacher abuse scandal that occurred at Miramonte Elementary School which is part of LAUSD.
Mr. Ring is widely-regarded as one of the leaders in representing victims of child abuse throughout California. He has successfully brought lawsuits against many schools and school districts throughout California, and particularly in Los Angeles.
Mr. Ring won the only other known sex abuse case brought against Miramonte Elementary School. That case involved a teacher's aide, Ricardo Guevara, who fondled three girls in his classroom. Guevara was criminally convicted and sent to prison for 15 years. Mr. Ring then brought suit against LAUSD for its negligence in supervising Guevara. It turned out that LAUSD had prior complaints of sexual misconduct against Guevara, yet allowed him to remain in the classroom with young children. The case was tried before a jury in downtown Los Angeles in 2008 and the jury returned a verdict in favor of the girls for $1.6 million.
Mr. Ring has been interviewed extensively about the Miramonte scandal. He appeared live on Fox local news, on KCAL news, on KCBS news, and on the Geraldo Rivera radio show. He has been quoted in the print media as well about the case.
Mr. Ring's prior verdicts and settlements for child sex abuse victims include: $10.8 million for a boy fondled by his male teacher; $3.750 million for a boy sexually abused by his male teacher; $3 million for a boy sexually assaulted by another boy at school; $2.1 million for a girl who was sexually involved with her high school teacher; $1.6 million for a girl who was sexually involved with her high school coach; and $1.1 million for a girl who was fondled by her female teacher. These are just a few of the cases handled by David Ring and attorneys at Taylor & Ring.
The Miramonte situation could have easily been avoided by LAUSD. Prior complaints should have resulted in Berndt being removed as a teacher. Adequate supervision practices would have uncovered his wrongdoing in the classroom. Yet, Berndt was able to get away with his sexual misconduct for years.
Taylor & Ring's representation of the parents and victims of the Miramonte scandal will be done with the firm's usual aggressiveness and professionalism, all the while respecting the victim's rights and privacy. We have handled hundreds of child abuse cases and are the leaders in this field. Please feel free to call David Ring at Taylor & Ring at 310-209-4100 if you have any questions or would like more information about this tragic case.
