Los Angeles Unified School District has agreed to pay $4.42M to three alleged victims of a former third-grade teacher who was convicted of molestation in 2012. The settlement stems from the assertion that LAUSD should have recognized that the teacher, Paul Chapel, has a history of sex crimes and was not suitable for employment at Telfair Elementary School.
“Attorneys for the Los Angeles Unified School District began finalizing settlements with plaintiffs in the Telfair case,” LAUSD said in statement. “We are pleased that these children will receive a fair settlement that will address their future needs and also prevent them from having to relive the events by testifying during a trial.”
As My News LA reports, Paul Chapel pleaded no contest to 13 acts of lewd acts on a child in 2012. The three students (who have kept anonymous) involved in this month’s settlement are in addition to the 13 victims who were identified during Chapel’s criminal trial.
According the recent lawsuits, LAUSD moved Chapel to an administrative position after charges he had a molested a boy in his home in 1997. That case rendered no verdict, but LAUSD then assigned Chapel back to a classroom at Telfair Elementary School the following year.
A Troubled History
This month’s settlement is not the first LAUSD has had to agree to following sexual offenses at Telfair Elementary School. Last year, they paid a similar sum to another group of former students who were also victims of molestation by an LAUSD employee.
The school district’s negligence in these cases is something that absolutely must be accounted for in a court of law. The perpetrators prosecution does not compensate the victims that will live the rest of their lives with scars left by these crimes. At The Senators (Ret.) Firm, LLP, we have dedicated our firm to serving victims who, due the actions of others, suffered pain and trauma that deserves to be answered for.
If you have been harmed and are interested in seeking civil action against those responsible, we invite you to contact one of our dedicated California lawyers for a confidential case evaluation.