A decades-old sex abuse lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District is quietly moving toward a potential ending, with a former Benjamin Franklin High School student telling a judge he has reached a tentative settlement with the district.
The plaintiff, identified in court papers only as John Doe B.T., alleges he was sexually abused as a teenager by a volunteer Franklin High football coach more than 20 years ago. In a recent filing with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jon R. Takasugi, his attorneys reported that the parties have reached a “conditional accord” and expect to ask for the case to be dismissed by June 30, 2026. The paperwork keeps the deal itself under wraps, offering no hint of the terms.
Court documents submitted this week lay out the basic framework for the tentative resolution, telling the judge about the conditional nature of the agreement and the target date for a dismissal request, according to MyNewsLA. The notice does not spell out any dollar figures or whether LAUSD’s governing board still needs to sign off.
Claims Survived Dismissal Push
LAUSD had tried to end the case early. The district asked Judge Takasugi to throw out the lawsuit entirely, but he declined to do so and allowed several core claims to move forward.
According to City News Service, the judge kept alive counts for negligent hiring, negligent supervision and negligent retention, along with allegations that the district failed to report suspected child abuse and negligently supervised a minor. In other words, the heart of the civil case remained on the table even as both sides started talking settlement.
Coach's Criminal Conviction
The civil complaint names former volunteer coach Jaime Jimenez, whose criminal case ended long before the current settlement talks. Jimenez pleaded no contest in a separate criminal prosecution and, in January 2017, was sentenced to 36 years and two months in state prison after prosecutors said he sexually assaulted five teenage boys.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has said the abuse happened between 2002 and 2014 and that some of the incidents occurred off campus. Under the sentence, Jimenez must also register as a sex offender for life, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Why It Matters For LAUSD
The tentative deal lands at a sensitive moment for LAUSD, which is already wrestling with a surge of historical sex abuse claims. Many of those cases were filed after Assembly Bill 218 extended the time window for survivors to sue, opening the door to allegations that had been effectively locked out of court for years.
To cover mounting sex misconduct payouts without immediately gutting classroom budgets, district leaders have turned to borrowing. As reported by The Los Angeles Times, the school board recently approved another $250 million in judgment obligation bonds on top of earlier borrowing to handle abuse related settlements, a financial strategy officials say is meant to soften the hit to day to day operations.
What Happens Next
If the plaintiff’s attorneys follow through and file their dismissal request by June 30, a judge could formally close the case, depending on any conditions that are attached. For now, the settlement exists only as a conditional promise on paper.
The notice filed with the court describes the accord as conditional and does not indicate whether it involves monetary payments, confidentiality provisions or other restrictions, according to MyNewsLA. That means the public may never see the fine print unless the deal collapses and the case returns to open court.
Legal Notes
In his lawsuit, John Doe B.T. accuses school administrators, teachers and staff of ignoring red flags about Jimenez. The complaint contends that officials received complaints and warnings but failed to investigate, which allegedly allowed Jimenez to groom and sexually abuse the plaintiff on dozens of occasions.
Those claimed failures form the backbone of the remaining civil counts, including negligent hiring, supervision and retention and failing to report suspected child abuse. They are the same causes of action LAUSD will either put to rest through the conditional settlement or continue to fight over in court, according to coverage by City News Service.
