LA County Set to Drop $4 Billion in Massive Settlement Over 6,800 Child Juvenile Halls Sex Abuse Claims

Los Angeles County has reached a tentative $4 billion settlement to resolve more than 6,800 claims of childhood sexual abuse allegedly committed within its juvenile halls and foster care system. The cases span from 1959 to the early 2000s, with most reported from the 1980s through the 2000s, involving locations like the MacLaren Children’s Center and Probation Department facilities.

“This is the costliest financial settlement in the county's history and will have a significant impact on the County’s budget for years to come,” stated a news release. The settlement will be financed through reserve funds, judgment obligation bonds, and departmental budget cuts.

L.A. County CEO Fesia Davenport offered a public apology, saying, “On behalf of the County, I apologize wholeheartedly to everyone who was harmed by these reprehensible acts.” She continued, “The historic scope of this settlement makes clear that we are committed to helping the survivors recover and rebuild their lives.”

The agreement still requires approval from the L.A. County Claims Board on April 7, followed by the Board of Supervisors on April 29. If approved, it will offer some form of restitution to thousands of victims like Reanell Hartley, who was sent to Camp Scott in the early 2000s. Hartley, who had experienced abuse and exploitation before her incarceration, said she had hope that the juvenile system would help her recover.

“I was excited because I was told that I was going to find discipline, I was going to find rehabilitation within the juvenile probation system,” she told ABC News. “The things that I found here was a total opposite.”

Attorney Patrick McNicholas, who helped negotiate the deal, emphasized that each survivor’s story matters: “Each case will be presented in the settlement process individually based upon that person's facts and circumstances, the injuries and damages they sustained.”

The Board of Supervisors said in a statement, “We hope that this settlement, once approved, can bring some measure of healing… and help them in rebuilding their lives.”

Link: ABC7