Taylor & Ring Reach $24 Million Settlement for Three Women Abused by Grade School Teacher
Taylor & Ring’s Dave Ring recently secured a $24 million settlement for three women who were sexually abused by their teacher at Langdon Avenue Elementary between 2006 and 2007. The $24 million will be divided between the three women for $8 million each, making the awards the largest settlements the LAUSD has ever paid out. The women were between eight and nine years old at the time when their teacher, David Ostovich, sexually molested them dozens of times during their school days.
Sadly, these victims were not the first to complain about Ostovich’s inappropriate behavior. Before starting at Langdon, he taught at Germain Elementary, another LAUSD school. While there, other teachers, administrators, parents, and students lodged complaints regarding his behavior around female children. The outcry led to his removal from the school, but no one at Langdon was informed about his past behavior when he started in the new position. In the 2006-2007 school year, Ostovich molested two of the victims and the following year, the school moved him to first grade, where he molested the third victim.
“This is an outrageous case that highlights LAUSD’s systemic failure to protect children from known child molesters. LAUSD received many complaints about this perpetrator’s interactions with girls, and instead of firing him, they ‘passed the trash’ and allowed him to move quietly to another school, where he continued to molest more girls. LAUSD’s complete lack of care for its young students is shocking. The abuse these three women endured forever altered their lives. It could have been entirely prevented if LAUSD had just done its job,” said Dave Ring.
The facts of the case are shocking. Ostovich groomed the young girls while having them stay in his classroom during recess and lunch, where he would touch them and have them sit on his lap, all behind closed doors. He also brought them gifts and lunch. The school district knew about the behavior and reprimanded Ostovich but permitted him to remain in his position. Over time, his behavior only escalated, and he began to sexually abuse the girls.
The LAPD eventually became aware of the allegations against Ostovich and began investigating the claims. While he was arrested, convicted, and lost his teaching credentials, he never faced jail time for his crimes.
When California modified the statute of limitations for sexual abuse, the victims were able to pursue a civil claim against Ostovich and LAUSD. The parties reached the record settlement just before the civil trial commenced.
The attorneys at Taylor & Ring are grateful for their opportunity to support the victims in this case and to bring them a favorable resolution. While the emotional impact of the abuse will persist, the outcome lets them hold accountable the perpetrator and the system that failed to protect them.
Taylor & Ring represents plaintiffs in sexual abuse, assault, harassment, personal injury, and wrongful death claims across California. If you or a loved one suffered abuse, fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation with our award-winning Los Angeles litigators.
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