Were you sexually abused while in the care of the Los Angeles County Juvenile Probation Camp (LAC Camp) or Detention Facility?
It’s time to hold those responsible accountable.
Hundreds of individuals have come forward to allege sexual abuse and harassment that took place while in custody across dozens of Los Angeles County juvenile probation camps (LAC Camps) and detention centers.
The lawsuits filed against the county, named and unnamed detention officers, and staff, claim Los Angeles County Division of Juvenile Justice was negligent in their protection of youth detainees in their care, failed to provide an adequate amount of staff and training to supervise the facilities, and failed to investigate allegations of abuse, for decades.
Jennifer Chang, a Los Angeles-based education rights attorney and advocate for children and adolescents with disabilities is currently accepting new complaints to help survivors seek compensation and hold their abusers and negligent staff accountable for these horrendous allegations.
Filing a LAC Camps Claim
In order to file a claim, a plaintiff must meet specific criteria:
- A person, who is currently under 40 years old;
- Was a minor housed at one of the Los Angeles County juvenile facilities listed below;
- Provide at least an estimate of the year/s they were housed;
- And, while there, they experienced sexual abuse by the guards, counselors, or other staff of the facility
Current claims date incidents as early as the 1970s with both adult male and female victims coming forward to recount endured sexual abuse as minors at the hands of guards and employees of camps and detention facilities. By the number of individuals stepping forward, it is clear that there was rampant sexual abuse in these facilities. Plaintiffs have claimed repeated abuse from ages as young as ten years old and have been privately dealing with the ramifications for years.
Individuals with special needs, especially juveniles receiving special education services, are far more vulnerable to abuse at the hands of authoritative figures. For more than a decade, Ms. Chang has represented children with disabilities and their families, helping them seek financial compensation and equal rights, and aiming to ensure situations of abuse and injustice are investigated and prosecuted.
If you are a survivor of sexual abuse while at an “LAC Camp” as a minor, it is important that you discuss your claim and next course of action with an attorney immediately. While specific details can assist a case, survivors do not need to know the name of their abuser(s) or the specific dates of abuse to file a claim. Experienced sexual assault attorneys and civil rights litigators will conduct thorough investigations and ensure you receive compensation for damages. The strength of any given case will depend on the severity of the abuse, the roles and background of the perpetrators as well as the facilities’ knowledge of the abuse that took place and their efforts to prevent incidents.
In the past, survivors of sexual assault could file a claim within ten years from the date of the sexual assault. However, the statute of limitations for this case has been expanded to allow victims the opportunity to file a civil complaint up to their 40th birthday. This extension has provided a gateway for as many individuals as possible to seek reparations for the physical and emotional harm inflicted as a result of sexual abuse as minors.
If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse while under the care of a listed Los Angeles County juvenile probation camp (LAC Camp) or detention center, contact the Law Office of Jennifer Chang to evaluate your case and the best next steps toward receiving compensation.
Changes to California’s Sexual Assault Statute of Limitation Laws
The sexual abuse of minors in the custody of California state facilities has been an ongoing concern for decades. In October 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom made history in California by signing laws that strengthen the rights of child sex abuse survivors and increase protection for children from online exploitation by putting pressure on social media platforms. In the new year, California will eliminate the statute of limitations for people to file lawsuits over allegations of child sexual assault for incidents of abuse that take place after January 1, 2024. While California Assembly Bill 452 will not directly impact the cases of “LAC Camp” survivors, it demonstrates the state’s commitment to protect children and hold negligent parties responsible for illegal actions moving forward.
The 23 facilities currently under investigation are: Camp Joseph Scott in Santa Clarita; Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey; Camp Ellison Onizuka, Camp McNair, Camp Scobee, Camp Jarvis, Camp Resnik, and Camp Smith at the Challenger Memorial Youth Center in Lancaster; Camp David Gonzales in Calabasas; Camp Karl Holton in Sylmar; Camp William Mendenhall in Lake Hughes; Camp; Fred Miller in Malibu; Camp John Munz in Lake Hughes; Camp Kenyon Scudder in Santa Clarita; Barley Flats Camp – La Canada; Camp Louis Routh in Tujunga; Camp Clinton B. Afflerbaugh; Camp Vernon Kilpatrick; Camp Joseph Paige; Camp Glenn Rockey; Dorothy Kirby Center; Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall; Central Juvenile Hall