Pomona Excessive Faculty is accused of rampant sexual abuse perpetrated by a number of male coaches within the Nineties.
LOS ANGELES – Attorneys Natalie Weatherford and John Taylor of Taylor & Ring, a California plaintiff trial regulation agency, obtained a $35 million verdict on behalf of Plaintiff, Jane Doe 4, towards Pomona Unified Faculty District (PUSD). Jane Doe 4 was raped by Herman Hopson, her former observe coach at Pomona Excessive Faculty (PHS), when she was simply 16 years outdated whereas on an in a single day observe journey. It’s alleged that Hopson sexually assaulted at the very least 4 different minor, feminine PHS college students.
“PHS had a prolific downside with childhood sexual abuse perpetrated by its grownup, male teaching employees within the Nineties and early 2000s, and Jane Doe 4 is one in every of 9 ladies who’ve come ahead to report abuse. PHS directors, coaches and employees repeatedly and inexplicably turned a blind eye to this abuse for many years, destroying the lives of many younger ladies, together with our consumer,” mentioned legal professional Natalie Weatherford. “Right this moment’s verdict is a big victory, not just for Jane Doe 4, however for all the ladies who’re at present ready to struggle their struggle.”
“Directors and personnel had been conscious of the grooming and sexually abusive conduct of a number of coaches, together with Herman Hopson. Former Pomona Excessive college students testified that the abuse was so rampant that ‘everybody on the campus knew’ that women had been being taken benefit of by coaches, but nothing was achieved,” commented legal professional John Taylor. “We’re hopeful this verdict is a step in the proper route and that the perpetrators will lastly be held accountable.”
Deposition testimony from former PHS college students, dad and mom, and workers, described the widespread, open, and apparent abuse of minor women at PHS by the grownup male PHS coaches, together with however not restricted to: the assistant observe and assistant soccer coach Defendant Herman Hopson, the ladies’ basketball coach Brian Crichlow, the pinnacle observe coach Kitrick Taylor, the soccer coach Derick Pugh, and the assistant soccer coach Vincent Spirlin. Vincent Spirlin stays employed by Pomona Unified Faculty District at the moment.
Case Background
Jane Doe 4 was 14 years outdated when she entered the ninth grade for the 1994-1995 faculty yr at PHS, the place she met Herman Hopson via her participation within the observe program. On a PHS observe journey in Spring 1996, Jane Doe 4, 16 years outdated, was raped by Hopson. Jane Doe 4 reported the assault to PHS principal Gloria Russo who informed Jane Doe 4 that she would “deal with it” and ordered her to “converse to nobody about this.”
Instantly following her report, Jane Doe 4 was subjected to bodily and verbal harassment and bullying by coach Kitrick Taylor and a PHS pupil (at Taylor’s route). The bullying turned so extreme that she was compelled to go away PHS on the finish of her eleventh grade yr.
Along with the rampant sexual abuse, these coaches and different grownup male members of the PHS athletic employees, overtly sexually harassed and objectified feminine PHS college students. The coaches supplied alcohol and medicines to the minor women on the campus and abused the ladies within the faculty locker room, health club, the coaches’ workplace and on a yearly faculty sponsored observe and discipline journey that the coaches would chaperone.
Taylor & Ring represents different plaintiffs on this matter : Jane Doe 3, 5, 6, 7 and eight.
Two plaintiffs have settled for an undisclosed quantity: Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2.
Taylor & Ring, an award-winning Los Angeles-based trial regulation agency, represents plaintiffs throughout California in high-impact civil rights, private harm, wrongful dying, and sexual assault, abuse and harassment issues.
