Los Angeles County has tentatively agreed to pay $828m (£630m) to settle more than 400 additional claims of sexual abuse against county employees, officials announced on Friday. The deal comes six months after the county approved a historic $4bn settlement, the largest such payout in US history, to resolve around 11,000 claims linked to abuse in juvenile facilities dating back decades.
Pending approval by the county board of supervisors and claims board, the new settlement would bring total compensation to $4.828bn. Chair of the board, Kathryn Barger, said the settlements balance the obligation to compensate victims with the need to protect taxpayers from fraud. However, the county still faces 2,500 unresolved cases, and the number is expected to rise.
The lawsuits stem from a California law enacted in 2020 that temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims, allowing victims to sue for a three-year window. Allegations include mistreatment and abuse in foster care and juvenile detention facilities, with some claims dating back to 1959. The county acknowledged that assessing claim validity has been hampered by a lack of records and the sheer volume of cases.
Authorities are investigating allegations of fraudulent claims, with nine plaintiffs from the first settlement reportedly claiming they were paid to file lawsuits. The county stated that claims brought by a particular law firm, Downtown LA Law Group, will undergo extra scrutiny. The firm has denied wrongdoing, stating it does not pay clients to file lawsuits and will end ties with anyone involved in such practices.
The county has implemented new safeguards, including a hotline for reporting abuse allegations against employees, expected by year-end. Officials noted that the settlement has placed severe financial strain on the county, requiring cuts to critical programmes. They called for “common sense fixes” to balance victims’ rights with public entity obligations.
