Sometimes you have to dig for the story.
NEWS ITEM
October 21, 2008 - Three girls were awarded total of $1.6 million by a Los Angeles Superior Court panel. All three girls were inappropriately touched by the aide, Ricardo Guevara, when they were ages 5 and 6 while attending Miramonte Early Education Center in 2002-03, according to trial testimony.
The district admitted liability before the trial.
"In a trial of this matter, LAUSD acknowledged responsibility for the acts of a former employee and the damage he caused to the plaintiffs and their families," the statement reads. "In order to spare our students the need to recount and relive the details of the incidents, we stipulated to liability for the acts."
Guevara was convicted of molesting the girls and sentenced in September 2005 to 15 years to life in state prison.
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TT - What is missing in such stories is the reason why the school district was liable. You don't pay out $1.6 million because you kinda feel bad about the whole thing. Districts and their insurance carriers pay because they have to. Which meant they did something, or failed to do something, that left them liable for damages.
You have to search around for the probable reason. This Mercury News story includes information that the (Los Angeles) Daily Breeze found unimportant.
Guevara had been accused of molesting another Miramonte student previously. Sheriff's deputies investigated and he was removed from the classroom.In fact, as the Los Angeles Times reported, Guervara was accused accused of molesting another Miramonte student in 2002 as well as another student in 1995.
When prosecutors decided not to pursue the case, he returned to the school.
