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MONDAY, MAY 05- MAY 11, 2025
LA County supervisors approve $4 billion sexual abuse settlement
LA County Sheriff’s Department explains homeless outreach efforts
By Anusha Shankar, City News Service
By Staff
T
he Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved a $4 billion settlement of more than 6,800 claims of sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated in juvenile facilities or foster care as far back as the 1980s, billed as the “costliest” such payout in county history. The payout is expected to have implications on the county budget “for years to come,” county officials said when announcing the proposed settlement earlier this month. The impact is already being felt in the proposed 2025-26 budget, which includes 3% cuts for many county departments. “On behalf of the county, I apologize wholeheartedly to everyone who was harmed by these reprehensible acts,” county CEO Fesia Davenport said in a statement announcing the proposed settlement. “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
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RV encampments are a focus of the LASD’s homeless outreach work. | Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
A | Photo courtesy of Candace Hollinger/Facebook
closed in 2003. Supervisor Holly Mitchell said the payout should prompt a change in governance to end sexual harassment and what she called systemic injustice. “Financial payout is one thing but ultimately everybody wants the behavior to stop,” Mitchell said. “People who commit these crimes should not have their jobs protected,” Mitchell added, calling for perpetrators to be terminated if allegations are found valid. The cost of the settlement will be borne through a combination of reserve funds, bonds and cuts in
department budgets. “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. Davenport said she has come across calls on social media platforms requesting that victims with similar experiences with the California Youth Authority come forward with their stories. She suggested that if a large settlement were to unfold within the state authority in the near future, the county would work with
state officials to work out budget management. Several members of the public — identified as Jane and John Does — shared their stories and offered public comment calling for immediate change. Speakers questioned the county’s ability to investigate claims within their own agencies and said termination of perpetrators should be the baseline outcome. Attorneys representing many of the claimants issued a statement saying the settlement — which will also need court approval See Settlement Page 28
s interaction between law enforcement officers and unhoused Los Angeles County residents, the sheriff’s Homeless Outreach Services Team is a frontline presence in the county’s response to the ongoing crisis. HOST is guided by the county’s approach to addressing homelessness “with urgency, dignity, and compassion,” according to a sheriff’s department statement Wednesday. “Being homeless is not a crime — it’s a crisis, this is a humanitarian mission, not a law enforcement campaign,” Sheriff Robert Luna said in a statement. “No one improves their circumstances while living in an RV or on the street without access to housing, health care or services. Our goal is to be the bridge to stability.” At the heart of these efforts is Pathway Home, a program for individuals
living in recreational-vehicle encampments, according to the sheriff’s department, which noted these accomplishments since Pathway Home’s August 2023 start: 1,300 individuals have been moved into interim housing; 265 individuals have transitioned into permanent housing; 47 full encampment resolutions completed; and Over 775 dilapidated RVs removed and recycled from the streets of unincorporated Los Angeles County and its Contract Cities The HOST team works with the County CEO’s Homeless Initiative Office and the departments of Mental Health, Health Services, Public Health, Public Works and Animal Control. “This integrated approach ensures that every participant See Homeless Page 27
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