L.A. County reaches tentative $4 billion settlement of thousands of sex abuse cases
Los Angeles County announced Friday that it is closing in on the costliest financial settlement in its history after reaching a tentative agreement to settle thousands of sex abuse cases.
The agreement would pay $4 billion to settle more than 6,800 claims of sexual abuse dating back to 1959 but still needs to be approved by the L.A. County Claims Board and the Board of Supervisors, officials stated in a news release.
“If approved, the settlement would resolve most—but not all—of the claims filed against the County under AB 218, which went into effect in 2020, waiving the statute of limitations and providing a 3-year window to allow victims of childhood sexual abuse to come forward,” the County stated.
According to the release, claimants’ awards would be determined and administered by an independent team of allocation experts.
Officials said most of the claims are alleged to have happened at Probation Department facilities and the MacLaren Children’s Center in the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s. The Children’s Center was permanently closed in 2003.
“On behalf of the County, I apologize wholeheartedly to everyone who was harmed by these reprehensible acts,” Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport said. “The historic scope of this settlement makes clear that we are committed to helping the survivors recover and rebuild their lives—and to making and enforcing the systemic changes needed to keep young people safe.”
The settlement, which the County plans to pay for with cash from reserve funds, issuance of judgment obligation bonds and proposed cuts in departmental budgets, promises to have a significant impact on its budget for years to come.
“The financing will require annual payments totaling hundreds of millions of dollars through 2030 and substantial continuing annual payments through fiscal year 2050-51,” the news release stated
The settlement is expected to go before the Claims Board on April 7. If approved, it will proceed to the full Board of Supervisors for consideration on April 29.