A lawsuit filed in the L.A. County Superior Court called MacLaren Children’s Center, also known as MacLaren Hall, a “house of horrors,” where children as young as 5 were sexually abused by staff members. This is just one of the many shocking allegations brought against MacLaren Hall throughout its 40 plus years of operation. The foster youth center was closed in 2003, but allegations of physical abuse, overcrowding, and sexual assault continued, culminating in the recent lawsuit filed by 12 former residents of MacLaren Hall.
Sadly, foster home sexual abuse is an all too common occurrence. With more than 420,000 children in the foster care system at any given time, oversight of staff members can be challenging. Thus, conditions like overcrowding, neglect, and sexual molestation can take place for years before authorities step in. Regardless of the difficulties in managing such a large system, administrators and social workers have a duty to protect the children in their care – many of whom have already suffered physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents. When officials fail in their duty towards the minors in their care, they must be brought to justice and ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
If you or a loved one suffered sexual abuse as a resident at MacLaren Hall, please give us a call to learn about your legal rights. Criminal and civil actions are available to you, but lawsuits for sex crimes must be filed within a certain time period. Our lawyers have many years of fighting for the rights of child sex abuse victims, and look forward to assisting you in your journey to recovery.
Children Living in a “House of Horrors”
The lawsuit filed by 12 former MacLaren Hall residents goes into disturbing detail regarding the abuse perpetuated by dozens of staff members. Allegations range from groping to rape by employees who would wake the children at night and take them to secluded locations where they were abused. In one of the most shocking revelations, one of the plaintiffs became pregnant by her abuser and had his child while she was still living at MacClaren Hall.
Complaints were made to various Los Angeles County departments for many years, and several employees were arrested in 1984 for the abuse of foster children. Due to on-going reports of abuse, control of MacLaren Hall was transferred to the county’s child welfare agency. That should have led to a mass overhaul of the foster care system, along with better oversight of MacLaren Hall employees. Unfortunately, the abuse continued for almost 20 years before the facility was shut down in 2003 following a class action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Under the terms of the class action lawsuit, Los Angeles County pledged to improve the timely placement of foster children in homes, instead of holding them at foster care facilities for years. Additionally, they agreed to increase the use of mental health services for their residents, which was frequently denied to foster children at MacLaren Hall.
However, the victims who were sexually abused while staying at MacLaren Hall still need justice for the harm that was done to them. The foster care center housed as many as 300 kids at a time, so there are surely many more victims out there, who need and deserve restitution. If you are one of these victims, or you have a family member who was sexually abused at MacLaren Hall, you may be able to sue for your physical and emotional injuries. We know that money can’t make up for the horror that you’ve gone through at the hands of the people who promised to protect you. However, taking legal action against your attackers, as well as the agencies responsible for your care, may provide you with a sense of resolution. Additionally, you are entitled to compensation for the treatment of your physical and mental injuries, which can take many years to recover from. Most victims suffer in one way or another for the rest of their lives, and they should not be responsible for the cost of medical and mental health treatments.
For more information on how to file an injury claim as a foster care sex abuse victim, contact our office and speak to one of our attorneys.
Our Recent Verdicts and Settlements
$2.5 Million
$600,000
$1.5 Million
$54 Million
$525,000
$1.2 Million
Causes of Sexual Abuse in Foster Homes
Sexual abuse can happen anywhere, but it’s especially prevalent in foster care centers like MacLaren. It’s the ultimate irony – children are taken away from abusive situations only to be placed in the hands of an abuser. So why is the rate of sexual assault, molestation, and other sex crimes so high in the foster care system? Here are some of the causes that can lead to widespread sexual abuse in a foster care facility:
- Lack of or improper screening of employees
- Neglectful, overworked, or disorganized social workers
- Lack of or inadequate training of workers
- Ignoring accusations or signs of sexual abuse
- Failing to investigate reports of sexual abuse
- Concealing or falsifying abuse reports
As you can see, liability for child sexual abuse in foster care centers goes far beyond the abusers. Residential home administrators, social workers that visit the homes, and county agencies in charge of the foster care system, are also responsible. One or more of these entities may be sued for negligence in their duty of care to a foster child. If you or a loved one was sexually abused while you were in foster care, please don’t hesitate to contract our office. The child sex abuse attorneys of Normandie are here to guide you on your legal options, and will fight to bring the responsible parties to justice.
How Can I Pursue my MacLaren Hall Sex Abuse Case?
If you are interested in pursuing a civil case against MacLaren Hall, you will need legal representation from a lawyer that’s experienced in child sexual abuse lawsuits. One of our lawyers can educate you on the legal actions that are available to you. One option is to file a lawsuit on your own, and the other is to join a class action lawsuit with other plaintiffs who have all suffered the same type of abuse. These options have their pros and cons, which our lawyers will go over with you so that you can make an informed choice.
No matter which type of action you take, it’s essential that you speak to a lawyer right away. These cases are complicated, and there are many legal procedures that the average person is not familiar with. Without skilled legal representation, victims can easily make mistakes or miss deadlines, thereby invalidating their right to compensation. To ensure that you receive the damages you’re entitled to, give us a call as soon as possible. We are ready to fight aggressively for your rights and bring you justice for the abuse you suffered as a child in the foster care system.
What is the Value of my MacLaren Hall Sex Abuse Case?
There are many factors we will need to consider in order to calculate the value of your foster care sexual abuse case. These factors include the types of damages you suffered, how long the abuse went on, and how your current life is affected by the abuse. This will help us determine the types of compensation you’re eligible to receive. Generally, a lawsuit for sexual abuse at MacLaren Hall can include the following types of damages:
- Pain and suffering
- Medical expenses for physical injuries
- Cost of mental health counseling
- Loss of earning capacity
- Legal fees
- Punitive damages
Punitive damages are especially relevant for victims of child sexual abuse. This is a form of compensation that’s granted by the courts when the defendant’s actions are especially outrageous (known as gross negligence). Many forms of outrageous conduct took place at MacLaren, such as improper screening and training of employees. Aside from the sexual abuse, MacLaren Hall was constantly cited for inhumane living conditions, but they were allowed to operate for over 40 years before they were shut down.
As for how much foster care abuse cases are worth in general, let’s take a look at some previous settlements.
Foster Care Abuse Verdicts and Settlements
- $4 million for a boy in Florida who was repeatedly raped and sexually abused by other residents at a foster care center. The child, who was developmentally disabled, was left alone with residents who had known histories of physical and sexual violence. Other children had complained of being abused by predatory residents, yet neither the foster care facility nor the Florida Department of Children and Families took steps to resolve the problem.
- $26 million for a New York class-action lawsuit involving 8 kids. The children suffered years of abuse at the hands of their foster mother, and blamed state agencies for failing to monitor her. As a result, the foster parent got away with horrific physical abuse and neglect for over 30 years.
- $1.3 million for a girl who was sexually abused by her foster parent. The foster care agency accepted him into their program, in spite of the fact that he was caught viewing child porn during the screening process. The state agency settled the case by putting the funds into a trust for the little girl’s future.
- $1.25 million for a 17-year old who suffered various forms of abuse while under the care of the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services. Neither DYFS nor the agency charged with finding the boy a foster home performed thorough background checks, resulting in the boy being placed with abusive parents.
How Long do I have to File my MacLaren Sex Abuse Case?
In 2019, California’s Assembly Bill 218 was signed into law. Under AB 218, child sex abuse victims up to the age of 40 can pursue a lawsuit against a foster care shelter or governing agencies. Alternatively, victims have up to 5 years from the discovery of their sexual abuse to sue for compensation. This is particularly important, as many victims are unaware that they were sexually abused until they are adults. Additionally, there is a 3-year window for victims who had previously missed the statute of limitations for a sexual abuse lawsuit. The plaintiffs in the most recent MacLaren Hall lawsuit are filing under the 3-year window, so you can see how beneficial the extension is for foster care abuse victims.
Victims, by the way, can sue for “treble damages,” which means they can be awarded three times the amount of compensation they would have received. The treble damage rule applies when the defendant knowingly concealed or falsified allegations of sexual abuse. At MacLaren Hall, for example, former residents reported the abuse to other employees and social workers, but nothing was done in most cases. Even worse, one victim said she was beaten for “snitching” when the worker she reported was sent to another housing unit.
We are certain that more disturbing details will be revealed in the upcoming days. As a victim, you do not have to suffer in silence with the trauma of your abuse. However, there is a limited amount of time to seek damages from MacLaren Hall and any other entity that was responsible for your care. To learn more about your rights under AB 218, contact our office and speak to a foster care sexual abuse attorney.
Our Lawyers are Here for You
Among personal injury cases, child sexual abuse is arguably the most devastating, considering the impact on victims and their families. Even if there are no physical injuries, the emotional scars last for a lifetime. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, you have options to recover your losses and publicly call out the people who have harmed you. But getting justice, both in the criminal and civil courts, is incredibly challenging when state agencies are involved. These entities fight vigorously to deny wrongdoing, and the resulting pressure causes many victims to give up or accept settlements that are far below what they deserve. Thus, they are victimized yet again by the system that was supposed to protect them all those years ago.
Experienced legal representation is the key to winning a case of foster care sexual abuse. But a victim should not have to pay for legal services, which is why we offer a Zero fee guarantee. That means you will never pay upfront for any of our services, even if we take your case to trial. Our legal fees are paid by the people responsible for your damages, and that’s only if we win your case. If we fail to win your case, we eat the costs and you will not be responsible for any of our fees.
If you are ready to take action in a sexual abuse case against MacLaren Hall, or any other foster care agency, contact the lawyers of Normandie without delay. We are ready and able to take on your case and fight for the justice you’re entitled to.
