Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Blog

The Los Angeles Unified School District failed to stop its superintendent from sexually harassing a male subordinate, according to a recently filed lawsuit.

Our Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyers understand that the district is also accused of sexual discrimination, public disclosure of private facts and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

If this case sounds familiar, that's probably because it's been in the spotlight for the last year.

The manager, who continues to serve as the director of leasing and asset management, was hired by the district back in 2000. His lawsuit alleges that this is when problems first began.

The former superintendent reportedly did not require the claimant to be interviewed or go through the normal hiring procedures that the district requires.

This fact should have been a red flag to other school administrators of the superintendent's ill intentions, the claimant says, calling such action an "abuse of authority."

In the fall of 2010, the plaintiff alleges that he was invited to the superintendent's ranch home for the weekend. Although the request made him uncomfortable, he felt that because it was extended by his boss, he had little choice.

While there, the plaintiff says that the superintendent exposed himself to him and then proceeded to sexually assault him.

The superintendent would later say the interactions were mutual.

On at least three occasions, the plaintiff says he complained to the district, the final time alerting the district's general counsel after the superintendent had begun calling him at home. The plaintiff lodged a complaint. Nothing happened. No investigation. No reprimand.

In fact, the district urged him to simply drop it. As the plaintiff put it, the general counsel "actively lulled (him) into silence" by stringing him along, yet refusing to actually initiate a sexual harassment investigation.

By March of last year, the plaintiff had had enough. He filed a notice that he would be filing a claim.

Within two months, the school district had announced the Board of Education had agreed to settle for $200,000 with the manager, as well as to provide lifetime health benefits, in exchange for his resignation. But there was a problem: The claimant says not only did he not sign off on that deal, the district actively engaged in public shaming by naming him in a press release, something he believes was done maliciously.

The public fall-out of this action was brutal, with the plaintiff subjected to widespread public scrutiny and humiliation.

While the plaintiff had initially filed a lawsuit directly against the superintendent, that was later dismissed on a technicality. This new lawsuit names the district directly.

The 79-year-old superintendent retired the year after the alleged incident occurred.

The plaintiff is still working at the district, though it's unclear how long that may last. He says that not only have his work-related responsibilities been slashed significantly, but the district has also been retaliatory, on several occasions attempting to fire him.