LAUSD settlement negotiations have resulted in a provisional agreement of $325,000 for a woman who alleged she was sexually abused by a school psychologist four decades ago while attending an elementary school within the Los Angeles Unified School District.
According to reports from CNS on the 17th, the 57-year-old plaintiff, identified as L.M., filed a lawsuit against LAUSD claiming she was repeatedly subjected to sexual abuse between 1978 and 1979 while enrolled at Warner Avenue Elementary School in West Los Angeles.
Following mandatory settlement conferences that began on the 12th, both parties reached a tentative agreement of $325,000 on the 16th. However, the final settlement remains subject to approval by the LAUSD Claims Board.
Details of the Lawsuit and Allegations
Court documents indicate that the plaintiff, who was 9 to 10 years old at the time, stated the school psychologist repeatedly took her out of the classroom to a secluded office within the campus.
The plaintiff’s legal team claimed the psychologist locked the office door and lowered the blinds, luring her with food and drinks before committing the acts of abuse. She also testified that she was threatened with separation from her mother and younger sister if she disclosed the abuse, and was grabbed so forcefully during resistance that she suffered bruises.
The plaintiff stated in her testimony that after enduring the fourth incident, she could no longer tolerate the abuse and attempted to leave the office, but the psychologist grabbed her forcefully, causing physical injury.
Additional Claims of Discrimination and District Stance
During the legal proceedings, racial discrimination issues experienced at the school during that period were also raised. The plaintiff, who is Black, transferred to Warner Avenue Elementary in the fifth grade through the district’s racial integration busing program and claimed she faced racial slurs and insults from other students.
Meanwhile, LAUSD has consistently denied any negligence by staff members in supervising students at the time and maintained its stance that it had no knowledge of the psychologist’s alleged sexual misconduct.
