EspañolLawsuit Claims El Segundo Water Polo Coach George Harris Jr Molested Former Boys Team Players
EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA (September 3, 2023) – Three former boys team players have filed a lawsuit alleging they were sexually abused by El Segundo water polo coach George Harris Jr.
The abuse allegedly took place between 2002 and 2010. George Harris Jr would allegedly sexually harass players at school and in late night telephone calls.
Players said that he encouraged them to masturbate and pressured them to share details about their sexual relationships with their girlfriends. It is also alleged that he supplied them with alcohol, marijuana and pornography.
The lawsuit claims that these measures were taken to induce the boys to have sex with him. There was at least one parent who complained to the principal of El Segundo High School about the sexual harassment and grooming.
George Harris Jr retired unexpectedly in 2010 citing health concerns. El Segundo Unified School District said that it is aware of the lawsuit but has declined to comment.
Liability For El Segundo Unified School District Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse among school coaches is much more of a common occurrence than many people may realize. According to a new report by the Guardian, “in some cases, coaches and instructors have exploited children’s vulnerabilities and the physical contact sport enables in order to groom and abuse them.” In fact, nearly a fifth of all educators accused of sexual abuse were coaches. There are a number of steps that schools should take in order to protect children from sexual abuse.
- All school employees should be thoroughly vetted before they are allowed to start.
- All instances of student sexual harassment or abuse should be thoroughly investigated.
- Teachers should be trained to understand and respect boundaries with their students.
Depending on the facts of any case, a school could be liable for the sexual abuse of their students by school faculty. Schools have a legal responsibility to protect children from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. To that end, school officials must enforce all rules and regulations necessary to prevent students from being abused. By the time a school is facing a lawsuit over sexual abuse, there were likely dozens of red flags that were missed. It is important that numerous steps are taken after any instance of sexual abuse.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
- Any disciplinary actions against the accuser should be examined.
- Medical records relating to the abuse should be preserved.
- An experienced teacher sexual abuse attorney should be consulted.
Sexual abuse is one of the most difficult and destructive things that most people will ever go through. It can cause long-lasting psychological trauma. Any person that was sexually abused by a school employee may have legal recourse through a civil claim. Sadly, though, it is common for schools to deny any liability if one of their employees sexually abused a student. This is why it is so important that evidence is properly documented and collected after any instance of abuse. A teacher sexual abuse attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.
Getting Legal Help After Sexual Abuse By School Coaches
We at the Carrillo Law Firm, LLP extend our best wishes to all of the people who may have been harmed by the actions of George Harris Jr. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. It is our sincere hope that El Segundo Unified School District officials will consider additional measures to protect students from abuse.
Have you or someone that you care about been sexually abused by a school coach? There are a number of laws designed to protect your rights. Our team of sexual abuse attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that abuse victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or are thinking about hiring an attorney we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
