Los Angeles County Plans to Pay $4 Billion to Settle Sex Abuse Claims

Los Angeles County has agreed to pay $4 billion to settle sexual abuse claims filed by individuals who were in its juvenile detention and foster care systems, representing what legal experts identify as the largest settlement of its kind in U.S. history.

The agreement, announced Friday, follows a series of settlements resulting from a state law enacted five years ago that expanded the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits against municipalities and school districts.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the county’s claims board are expected to formally approve the settlement within the next two weeks. The agreement encompasses more than 6,800 claims of childhood sexual abuse dating back to 1959. County officials have indicated that the settlement amount will likely necessitate budget adjustments.

The settlement addresses claims from individuals who experienced sexual abuse while in the county’s juvenile detention and foster care systems. Legal representatives for the claimants presented documentation of the reported abuse during a news conference in 2022.

The settlement represents a significant development in the legal process addressing historical cases of child sexual abuse in institutional settings, enabled by recent legislative changes that have expanded access to legal remedies for survivors.