Los Angeles County has reached a tentative agreement to pay $828 million to settle more than 400 additional claims of sexual abuse by county employees. This move follows the approval of a $4 billion settlement in April, which addressed thousands of similar claims dating back to 1959.
The latest agreement still requires approval from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Officials said the number of claims in the previous settlement grew from 7,000 to 11,000, and the county could face as many as 2,500 more cases, with the total potentially exceeding 14,000. The settlements have put significant financial pressure on the county.
The lawsuits allege that individuals were mistreated and sexually abused in foster care and juvenile detention facilities operated by the county. Many of the claims were made possible by a California law enacted in 2020 that temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse cases.
There are ongoing concerns about the legitimacy of some claims. An investigation by the Los Angeles Times found that several plaintiffs reported being paid to file lawsuits, with some admitting their claims were fraudulent. In response, county officials stated, “the credibility of every individual claim will be reviewed, and plaintiffs determined to have submitted fraudulent claims will receive no money from the settlement.”
To prevent fraud, the county is requiring every claimant to submit a detailed summary of the abuse, signed under penalty of perjury, and may request further evidence if fraud is suspected. Claims associated with the DTLA Law Group will receive extra scrutiny after reports that some plaintiffs were offered money to file claims. The law firm denies any wrongdoing, stating, “We do not pay our clients to file lawsuits, and we strongly oppose such actions. If we ever became aware that anyone associated with us, in any capacity, did such a thing, we would end our relationship with them immediately. We want justice for real victims.”
County officials may refer attorneys accused of paying for claims to the state bar for possible disciplinary action. Dawyn R. Harrison, the county’s counsel, said, “The conduct alleged to have occurred by the DTLA firm is absolutely outrageous and must be investigated by the appropriate authorities. Not only does it undermine our justice system, it also deprives legitimate claimants of just compensation. While both settlements have protections to ensure that this is not a windfall for fraudulent plaintiffs, legislative protections must be put in place to ensure unscrupulous lawyers don’t get windfalls at the expense of survivors of abuse.”
Officials noted that the county’s ability to verify claims has been challenged by a lack of records, the volume of cases, and court-ordered restrictions on legal discovery.
To further prevent abuse and respond quickly when it occurs, the county plans to introduce a hotline for reporting child sexual abuse allegations against county employees by the end of the year.
