$110 Million Asked in School Molest Case
Parents of 11 students at 68th Street School who have accused a former teacher of molestation have filed claims totaling $110 million against the Los Angeles School District, officials said Friday.
Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., the attorney for the 11 families, said the claim charges the district with fraud, conspiracy and civil rights violations. Cochran said the families hold the district fully responsible for the sexual assaults and emotional distress their children have allegedly experienced.
Former 68th Street School teacher Terry Bartholome has pleaded not guilty to 45 counts of molestation involving 17 students. He is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail.
Named in the claim, which was filed with the school district, are Bartholome, Alice McDonald, the principal at 68th Street; Stuart Bernstein, a regional supervisor, and Phillip Jordan, a former regional superintendent who now heads the Pasadena Unified School District.
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