Los Angeles County announced Friday that it is trapped in the most expensive financial settlement in history after reaching a temporary agreement to resolve thousands of sexual abuse cases.
The deal pays $4 billion to resolve more than 6,800 sexual abuse claims dating back to 1959, but still needs to be approved by the LA County Board of Claims and Supervisory Board, officials said in a news release.
“If approved, the settlement will settle most, but not all, of claims filed against the county under AB 218, which came into effect in 2020.
According to the release, the claimant’s awards are determined and managed by an independent team of assignment experts.
Officials said most of the claims were allegedly occurring in the probation department and McClallen Children’s Center in the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s. The Children’s Center was permanently closed in 2003.
“On behalf of the county, I sincerely apologize to everyone who harmed these accusable conduct,” said CEO Fecia Davenport. “The historical scope of this settlement reveals that it will be committed to helping survivors recover and rebuild lives, and implementing the systematic changes necessary to keep young people safe.”
The settlements the county plans to pay in cash from the reserve funds, issuance of judgment obligation bonds, and proposals to cut the divisional budget are committed to having a significant impact on budgets over the coming years.
“Funding will require an annual payment of hundreds of millions of dollars by 2030, and a substantial annual payment from fiscal year 2050 to fiscal year 51,” the news release states.
The settlement is expected to advance to the Claims Committee on April 7th. If approved, it will proceed to the entire Supervisory Board for consideration on April 29th.
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