Carrillo Law Firm Secures Multimillion-Dollar Settlement for Child Sex Abuse Claims Against Convicted LAUSD Coach

LOS ANGELES, July 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorneys with the Carrillo Law Firm announced an $11 million settlement on behalf of nine children who accused a former coach with the Los Angeles Unified School District of childhood sexual abuse.

47-year-old Ronnie Lee Roman is serving a 105 years-to-life sentence after a jury found him guilty of molesting seven girls, ages 8 to 11, while employed by LAUSD. The abuse, which dated as far back as 2002, happened while Roman worked as a coach at Cahuenga Elementary and Vine Elementary schools. Six of the assaults occurred on school campus and the seventh took place in the victim's home, according to prosecutors.

Roman had unfettered access to hundreds of children at multiple schools through his position with LAUSD and Cahuenga Elementary's "Beyond the Bell" afterschool program, where he worked as a mentor, coach, and supervisor. The children reported misconduct that included Roman playing a game called "Four Corners", which involved blindfolding the students and spinning them until they felt dizzy. Roman was accused of pressing his penis into the children's backs, and buttocks.

"We are hopeful this settlement will provide the help these young people need to heal from the anxiety, depression, and shame they feel because of what happened at school, where they should have felt safe and protected," said the plaintiffs' attorney Michael Carrillo.

This resolution, finalized May 14, 2020, comes on the heels of a $25 million payout approved by the district in January, 2020 that involved additional victims of two convicted pedophile teachers who worked at Telfair Elementary School in Pacoima and De La Torre Elementary School in Wilmington.

"Sadly, the district continues to engage in an institutional culture of withholding evidence, ignoring students and failing to report to authorities these claims of rampant sexual abuse committed by teachers and staff," said the plaintiffs' attorney Luis Carrillo.

LAUSD has a deep-rooted custom and practice of covering-up for predator teachers since the 1980s which has resulted in years of litigation and hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements to resolve lawsuits brought by childhood sexual abuse victims. 

The plaintiffs' legal team includes attorneys Luis A. Carrillo and Michael S. Carrillo with The Carrillo Law Firm. The South Pasadena-based plaintiffs firm specializes in handling cases involving child sexual abuse, police excessive force, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death.

Contact: Carrillo Law Firm (626) 799-9375

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SOURCE Carrillo Law Firm