Taylor & Ring Obtains $1.4 million Verdict For Special Needs Victim In Sexual Assault Case
Taylor & Ring obtained a $1.4 million jury verdict on behalf of a special needs student who was sexually assaulted while enrolled in a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) after school care program. The girl, who was nine years old at the time of the incidents, was sexually assaulted by a then 10-year-old male student at the Superior Street Elementary School, located in the Valley.
At the jury trial, victims’ lawyers David Ring and Louanne Masry proved that LAUSD had insufficient supervision for the after-school program which allowed the boy to take the victim to an unsupervised area, where he sexually assaulted her. This happened 5-6 times over the course of a few months. The boy was not a special needs student, and was able to take advantage of the girl’s disability. The boy had been in serious trouble in the past for other misconduct at the school.
The girl suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety as a direct result of these assaults.
The trial was held in Santa Monica and lasted three weeks. The jury found in favor of the girl and against LAUSD and held LAUSD liable for the girl’s harm and damages, and awarded her $1.4 million.
“Not only did LAUSD fail to adequately staff their after-school program, especially considering the special needs of the victim, they failed to have proper supervision of a student who was previously reprimanded for his inappropriate behaviors,” says Mr. Ring. “The Los Angeles Unified School District had a heightened duty to protect the girl.”
This case was featured in the Los Angeles Times.
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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