A jury has ruled in favor of Lauren Siegman, a former Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) student who alleged that she was molested by a former teacher and baseball coach in the district.
The district must pay $9.6 million to Siegman, per the jury’s Nov. 26 decision.
Speaking to the Courier, attorney Stephen Weisskopf, who represented Siegman, expressed his contentment.
“We are very happy with the jury, we are very happy with what they did,” he said. “We are happy for Laurie more than anything else.”
In the suit, Siegman alleged that Hank “Henry” Friedman sexually abused her from 1978 to 1981. She also alleged that district officials knew or should have known about the abuse and failed to take action to protect her and other students.
Siegman’s complaint, which was filed in 2020, took advantage of a California law which granted an extension of the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits alleging childhood sexual abuse.
The first trial in the case took place in March 2024. It resulted in a hung jury on the issue of whether school officials knew or should have known about the abuse.
A second trial began in October and resulted in the current verdict. The jury unanimously concluded that administrators or supervisory employees were negligent, and that several district employees knew or should have known about the abuse.
The jury also unanimously concluded that the negligent supervision of Friedman was a substantial factor in harming Siegman.
Friedman must also pay Siegman $6.4 million.
In a statement, Siegman expressed her relief and gratitude.
“I am profoundly grateful to the victims and witnesses who had the courage to share their stories during my trial,” said Siegman in a statement. “After all these years, having the truth acknowledged means more than I can express. I am also thankful for the incredible legal team that stood by me and fought tirelessly on my behalf.”
BHUSD provided the following statement to the Courier:
“This case involves allegations dating back more than 45 years. District counsel is reviewing all legal options, including a potential appeal. Importantly, our Superintendent, with the support of the Board, located insurance policies from the 1970s that previous administrations were unable to find. As a result, the Beverly Hills community will likely not bear the financial impact of this matter. While we respect the legal process and all parties involved, our focus remains on moving forward and continuing to create safe, supportive learning environments for every student.”
