Exactly one year ago today, on July 6, 2022, a significant lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) reached a tentative settlement. The lawsuit involved multiple plaintiffs who had experienced sexual abuse by a former wrestling coach at Poly High School in Sun Valley named Terry Gillard.
In recent court filings, the plaintiffs’ lawyers announced that a “conditional” agreement had been reached just days before the trial was due to start. The LAUSD, the Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley, and Terry Gillard were named as defendants in the cases. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but the plaintiffs’ attorneys anticipate filing a request for dismissal of the case by September 21.
In their court papers, the plaintiffs’ attorneys emphasized the horrific nature of the abuse their clients had endured. They stated that between 2014 and 2017, 18 victims suffered the most reprehensible sexual abuse at the hands of Gillard, who was a convicted pedophile. The attorneys further alleged that the LAUSD had negligently employed and supervised Gillard.
Gillard had already been sentenced to 71 years in state prison in October 2019 for numerous sex crimes involving nine children. These crimes had occurred between 1991 and 2017, with the victims being both boys and girls who were under his coaching in Poly High School and the Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley.
The lawsuits against the LAUSD and the Boys & Girls Club claimed that both organizations were aware of Gillard’s misconduct and should have taken action to prevent him from having contact with children. The plaintiffs’ attorneys also criticized the LAUSD’s Student Safety Investigation Team (SSIT), stating that it failed in its duty to investigate allegations of sexual abuse properly.
According to the plaintiffs’ attorneys, the SSIT was not allowed to fully investigate claims of misconduct or provide their professional opinions on credibility and conclusions regarding alleged abusers. Consequently, any investigations conducted by the SSIT were deemed worthless in their effectiveness.
Additionally, the plaintiffs’ attorneys asserted that although the LAUSD investigator suspected Gillard of lying about denying sexual misconduct in 2016, this information was not relayed to administrators who ultimately decided to allow Gillard to return to Poly High School. As a result, Gillard was able to continue sexually abusing minor students on campus.
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