Unfortunately, child sex abuse is very common in California schools – public, charter, and religious schools alike. Teachers and staff take advantage of their proximity to students to abuse them; depending on each case, the abuse may occur through manipulation, grooming, or force. Child sex abuse is an umbrella term that covers any sort of sexual contact with a minor, as a minor can never consent to sexual contact. This may include rape, attempted rape, kissing, fondling, touching, forcing the victim to touch the attacker in any way, exposing oneself to the minor, forcing the minor to penetrate the attacker, sending explicit pictures or videos, making inappropriate jokes or comments, etc.

In many cases, the schools fail to identify and address the sexual conduct, so teachers and staff effectively get away with abusing students. In other cases, the school is aware of the abuse but fails to take any action whatsoever. In fact, the school sometimes even covers up the abuse.

Child sex abuse can result in significant harm, which can include some of the following:

• Sexually transmitted infections
• Unwanted pregnancies
• Pregnancy-related complications
• Injuries to genitals
• Injuries to reproductive organs
• Post-traumatic stress
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Fear
• Panic
• Increased risk of self-harm
• Increased risk of substance abuse

If you or your child suffered sexual abuse at YULA or at any other California school, you could have the right to file a lawsuit. Your right to sue is based on the duty of care owed to students. These schools have a duty to keep their students safe from all hazards, including hazards represented by teachers and staff. When hiring staff, these schools must subject all prospective employees to background checks, training, supervision, etc. These schools must have the appropriate policies and procedures for reporting abuse, investigating these reports, and taking action (usually to remove the staff from the school). Unfortunately, many of these schools actually cover up the abuse.

In general, victims and their parents have the right to sue these schools for the abuse that they suffered. For more information about your right to file a lawsuit for child sex abuse at YULA or at any other school, contact us today.

You could be entitled to receive compensation. Some of the categories of compensation available for recovery could include the following:

• Medical expenses
• Lost earnings
• Pain and suffering
• Punitive damages
• Treble damages
• Legal fees

Cases of child sex abuse against schools can be worth anywhere from $500,000 to $3 million – and sometimes more. Class action lawsuits for child sex abuse have reached $20 million settlements in the past.

Here at our law firm, our team is fully committed to getting our clients the highest recovery available for their claims. Whether our team has to negotiate a settlement or take your claim to trial to reach a verdict, you can trust that our attorneys are ready to go above it all to secure the highest recovery available for your claim.

All claims are subject to a statute of limitations – or a deadline to sue. When claimants do not file their claims on time, they run the risk of losing their right to sue even if they had a valid claim. How long do victims of child sex abuse have to sue? In California, victims of child sex abuse have until the age of forty (and a five-year discovery rule) to file their claims. This long timeframe is very important considering that victims often suffer from suppressed memories.

What if I am a parent thinking about pursuing a claim? To be able to file on your child’s behalf, you must file before your child turns eighteen. You must remember that filing a claim on your child’s behalf means that your child will not be able to pursue his or her own claim once an adult.

If you are unsure of the specific length of time that you have to file your claim, contact us today. Our team is ready to help you file your claim on time.