Los Angeles County to Pay Staggering $4 Billion to Resolve Thousands of Abuse Cases

Los Angeles County will pay an unprecedented $4 billion to settle more than 6,800 claims of sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated in juvenile facilities or foster care as far back as the 1960s, a resolution that is expected to have implications on the county budget “for years to come,” attorneys and the county announced Friday.

“On behalf of the county, I apologize wholeheartedly to everyone who was harmed by these reprehensible acts,” county CEO 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 majority of claims included in the settlement involve alleged abuse that occurred in county Probation Department juvenile facilities, most notably the MacLaren Children’s Center in El Monte, which was closed in 2003. County officials called it “the costliest financial settlement in the history of L.A. County” and said it “will have a significant impact on the county’s budget for years to come.”

The cost of the settlement will be borne through a combination of reserve funds, bonds and cuts in department budgets. Davenport has warned over the past two years that pending legal claims posed a major threat to the county’s financial picture.

“The financing will require annual payments totaling hundreds of millions of dollars through 2030 and substantial continuing annual payments through fiscal year 2050-51,” according to a statement from the county.

The county Claims Board is set to consider the settlement Monday, and the Board of Supervisors will review it on April 29.

Attorneys representing many of the claimants issued a statement saying the settlement — which will also need court approval — “aims to deliver long-overdue accountability, puts safeguards in place to prevent such failures in the future and ensures the county’s financial stability through a five-year distribution plan that includes structured payouts with oversight to manage financial exposure while prioritizing victim compensation.”

“This landmark settlement represents restorative justice for victims. Restorative justice is a societal recognition that a horrible wrong has been committed and compensation is justified,” co-lead attorney Patrick McNicholas said in a statement. “It stands as a testament to the resilience of survivors, the importance of holding institutions accountable and the power of collaboration in driving meaningful change. By balancing justice for the victims with a commitment to reform, this resolution ensures both acknowledgment of past wrongs and a pathway to a safer, more accountable future.”

Many of the claims alleged that the plaintiffs were sexually abused and in some cases tortured while housed at county probation halls and camps. Attorneys said some of the claims dated back as far as the 1960s. The older allegations were the result of a state law passed in 2020 that temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for alleged victims to file abuse claims.

Attorneys contended that victims were abused and threatened with additional detention time if they did not comply. The complaints also contended that county supervisors were informed about the illegal activity but took no action to stop it, and instead “created an environment that harbored serial abusers to maintain a facade of normalcy and facility funding.”

Plaintiffs’ attorneys said the challenge in reaching such an unprecedented settlement was finding a way to structure the payout so it would not lead the county into bankruptcy.

“By structuring the settlement payouts over five years, Los Angeles County has ensured that justice is served in a way that remains fiscally responsible,” co-lead plaintiffs’ attorney Todd Becker said in a statement. “This approach provides survivors with the compensation they deserve while allowing the county to maintain control, manage its financial exposure and meet clear benchmarks along a well-defined timeline. The settlement also includes critical accountability measures, such as enhanced staff training and stronger oversight, to prevent such failures in the future, reinforcing the county’s commitment to meaningful reform.”

County officials said numerous operational changes have been made in recent years to address the issue of sexual abuse in probation facilities, and others are being developed.

Additional proposed measures include:

• creating a Countywide Hotline for reporting child sexual abuse allegations against county employees;
• developing a system for expedited investigations and independent review by outside experts;
• enhancing the county’s Zero Tolerance policy to ensure that when allegations of child sexual abuse committed by an employee are substantiated, the county takes “immediate action to the fullest extent allowed by law, including but not limited to termination and referral to law enforcement”; and
• requiring county departments to provide notice to new employees and applicants of the Zero Tolerance policy and intent to discipline to the fullest extent allowed by law.