Two students attending the Orthodox Jewish High School, Yeshiva University of Los Angeles, reported “an inappropriate relationship of a sexual nature” with a female staff member. In an email from the head of school, Rabbi Arye Sufrin, the woman was not identified by name, but only as someone that was working at the boys’ campus. He said the Los Angeles Police Department has been notified of the allegations, and the woman has been removed from the campus and ordered not to communicate with any students or staff at the school.
Yeshiva University of Los Angeles, also known as YULA, is the largest Orthodox Jewish high school in LA, with over 400 students in 2 campuses. It’s unknown how long the abuse was going on, or the age of the students at the time. The accusations at YULA are similar to another incident at a Houston Orthodox school, Robert M. Beren Academy. Multiple former students came forward with accusations of sexual exploitation by the head of school, Rabbi Ari Segal. According to a private investigator, there was credible evidence of “sexualized, persistent, emotionally charged communications” between Segal and two students between the years of 2004 and 2011.
Private school run by religious communities have a reputation of hiding abuse accusations and letting pedophiles get away with their crimes. As of now, there are many details that we need to learn about the incidents at YULA, but there is no denying that poor judgment, lack of appropriate action, and protecting the school’s reputation at all costs are problems that can cause children to be sexually abused.
Are you a former student of Yeshiva University in Los Angeles who was subjected to sexual abuse by a teacher, administrator, or another staff member? Are you the parent of a child who was taken advantage of in a sexual manner by someone at YULA? Our team of sexual abuse lawyers would like the opportunity to advise you of your rights and the available legal options. Please contact us and schedule a free case evaluation if you or a member of your family was sexually abused while attending Yeshiva University in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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Liability by the School for the Sexual Abuse of a Student
For now, very few details have been released about this case, so we can’t say for sure if the school is legally responsible for what happened to the students that recently came forward. We do know that the head of school referred the matter to the LAPD, which is the correct thing to do. In fact, this is legally required, since school employees are mandated reporters, meaning they are required by law to report any incidents, allegations, or suspicions of child abuse to the police or child protective services.
However, it’s unknown how long the accused had been working at YULA, or if there were previous complaints or signs of inappropriate conduct by this woman. If so, the school administrators most likely had knowledge of it and should have contacted the authorities. Sadly, we find that abusers are given a slap on the wrist or far too many chances at most schools, particularly religious institutions, where they are more inclined to protect members of their community. A good example is how the Catholic Church handled incidents of child sexual abuse by priests and nuns. Instead of turning these people over to the police, the Church hid evidence, buried accusations by victims, and moved the offender from one parish to another.
That’s why cases like the recent allegations by 2 students at YULA need to be investigated by law enforcement. However, we can conduct our own investigation here on behalf of victims who believe that the school was negligent in their duty of care to students and their families. If you or your loved one was sexually abused as a student at Yeshiva University in Pico-Robertson, contact our law firm and speak to a member of our legal team.
Average Value of a School Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
While there is no singular amount that we can say is “average” for child sexual abuse settlements, you can generally expect case values to range from $400,000 to $5,000,000. Those who were physically abused, meaning there were incidents of inappropriate touching, intercourse, and other acts of sexual assault, payments are likely to exceed $1,500,000. If the abuse involved sexual exploitation, like sexual communications and exchanging inappropriate photos, the claim may be settled for under $1,000,000. However, each case has unique details that can enhance the amount of compensation beyond the normal range. To learn how much you are likely to receive from a Yeshiva University of Los Angeles sexual abuse lawsuit, please take a moment to contact our office.
How Long Do Child Sex Abuse Claims Take to Settle?
Due to the complications that are involved, we expect these cases to take between 1 and 2 years, and sometimes 3 or more years in the event we need to ask for a trial date. It’s worth noting, however, that trials are exceptionally rare – more than 95% of all child sex abuse claims are settled without involvement from the court system beyond filing and serving the lawsuit.
Please note that the timeframe of 12 to 24 months is an estimate, and there’s no way to say for sure how long it will take to settle a lawsuit against Yeshiva University of Los Angeles. For some claimants, a settlement may be reached within the first 6 months. However, we know from experience that sexual abuse allegations are not something private schools or public school districts want to be associated with. Plus, there is the complexity of proving liability by school officials, who are not the ones that actually abused the student. The combination of these and many other issues is why settling a religious school lawsuit for sexual abuse can take longer than expected.
What is the Deadline to Sue for Sexual Abuse during Childhood?
Normally, those who were sexually assaulted or exploited prior to the age of 18 have a time period of 22 years to file a lawsuit. This window of time starts from when the victim turns 18 years old, i.e., the age of adulthood under California law. So, another way to look at it is that child sex abuse victims have until their 40th birthday to file a claim against their abuser and other liable entities, like the school system.
One exception that can be made is known as the discovery rule. As children, it’s hard to process the trauma of sexual abuse, or even understand that it’s a form of abuse. Therefore, many of these kids do not go to someone for help. For the ones that do know it’s wrong and tell someone, many of them are told to stay quiet and no further help is given to them.
The only thing left for the child to do is repress their feelings and move on with their lives, but this is easier said than done. Most adults who were sexually abused as minors have significant mental health problems throughout their lives, but they may not understand the source of their suffering. By the time they do, they may no longer qualify for a lawsuit according to California’s statute of limitations for child sex abuse. But they can still use the date of discovering an injury from the abuse as the starting point for a lawsuit. Starting from the date of realization, survivors of sexual abuse during childhood have 5 years to file a lawsuit.
Contact a Lawyer with Experience in School Sexual Abuse Incidents
How to move forward from the trauma of sexual abuse is different for each victim. For many of them, taking legal action against the abuser and other entities that enabled the abuse is a powerful step towards healing.
That’s why our law firm believes in free legal services for sexual abuse victims, no matter how long it takes to bring you justice. As one of our clients, there’s no need to worry about the cost of legal fees. We ask for these expenses to be paid by YULA as part of your compensation award. In essence, we get paid at the same time you do, and if we don’t win your case, you pay us $0, thanks to the Zero Fee Guarantee.
Contact us today and learn about your rights as someone that was sexually abused at Yeshiva University of Los Angeles.
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