Lawsuit targets LAUSD in student sexual assault case
The Los Angeles Unified School District is no stranger to claims made by parents and other caregivers that school officials, teachers, coaches and other staff members either committed sexual assault acts against children or abetted them through laxity.
A material update regarding one such claim was recently reported via a local media report describing an alleged sexual assault committed against a young female student at a South Los Angeles elementary school in 2012.
The girl, who was 12 years old at the time, said that she was attacked in a school bathroom. She described the suspect in detail, and police officials released a sketch of that individual to the public. No one was ever arrested in the case.
What happened in the wake of that matter, say attorneys for the girl’s family, was deeply troubling and served as a catalyst driving the family’s decision to sue the LAUSD.
Reportedly, the district sought to discredit the girl, in a manner one of her legal representatives termed “despicable.” School officials brought in a psychiatrist to examine the child, who said that evidence lacked to confirm the assault and that the girl had fabricated the story.
The family is incensed about that, and let their feelings be known at a press conference recently held outside LAUSD headquarters. The girl’s mother says that her child is still deeply traumatized by the assault. The family has moved to another school district.
An official LAUSD statement said that the district “remains open to reaching a reasonable settlement with the student.”
Serving clients throughout the Greater Los Angeles and Southern California area, we represent victims in a variety of civil litigation cases. If you or a loved one has been injured, turn to an experienced Los Angeles personal injury or sexual assault lawyer.
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