LAUSD reaches $24M settlement with 3 women who were sexually abused by teacher
LOS ANGELES - A $24 million settlement was reached on behalf of three women who alleged they were sexually abused by their elementary school teacher in 2006 and 2007, their attorney announced Wednesday.
The plaintiffs, identified only as Jane Does 1, 2, and 3, had filed separate lawsuits in Los Angeles and Van Nuys Superior Courts in 2021. The women stated that they were 8 to 9 years old when teacher David Ostovich sexually molested them repeatedly in his classroom at Langdon Avenue Elementary School in North Hills.
Prior to the alleged abuses of the plaintiffs, Ostovich worked at Germain Street Elementary School in Chatsworth, where he received dozens of complaints from administrators, teachers, parents and students about his inappropriate behavior with girls before he obtained his job at Langdon Avenue Elementary School, according to the lawsuits.
"This is an outrageous case that highlights LAUSD's systemic failure to protect children from known child molesters," plaintiffs' attorney David Ring said. LAUSD received many complaints about this perpetrator's interactions with girls, and instead of firing him, they ... allowed him to move quietly to another school, where he continued to molest more girls.
In their court papers, LAUSD attorneys maintained the plaintiffs complaints were defective because school districts are not mandated reporters under the law.
According to the lawsuit, in 2006 and 2007, Ostovich, who was in his late 40s, began grooming and eventually molesting the plaintiffs. As part of his grooming tactics, Ostovich would ask young girls to stay with him during recess and lunch behind closed doors in his classroom. He would allegedly touch, rub and improperly hug them, the lawsuit stated. He would have them sit on his lap and bring them lunch and gifts.
"All of this was known to LAUSD, who reprimanded Ostovich several times, yet never fired him. Ostovich escalated his misconduct and began to sexually abuse the girls in his classroom," attorney Dave Ring of Taylor & Ring said in a statement.
In 2008, LAPD learned of several victims, including two in this case, and Ostovich was eventually arrested and convicted. According to Ring, Ostovich never served any jail time, but his teaching credentials were revoked.