LOS ANGELES (CA)
CalMatters [Sacramento CA]
April 13, 2026
By Chantel Johnson
LA County last year agreed to pay a record $4 billion to settle thousands of claimsof sexual abuse in county-run juvenile facilities and foster homes. There are many perspectives on the controversy. This is from a child advocate. Another perspective from unions representing the affected workers is here.
The recent revelation from 95-year-old Dolores Huerta that César Chávez sexually abused her decades ago is a stark reminder of what research has long shown: the ramifications of sexual abuse are profound and lifelong, and it often takes survivors decades to speak out about what they experienced when they were young.
But even as California legislators pledge support for Huerta and other survivors, they are preparing to introduce legislation that would block an entire class of sexual abuse survivors from ever seeking justice.
Last year, Los Angeles County reached a record $4 billion settlement with survivors of sexual abuse in its foster care and juvenile justice systems. New claims continue to pour in from survivors of abuse inside state systems.
Now the county is pushing legislation that would create new deadlines, damage limits and immunity provisions, making it nearly impossible for those abused at the hands of the state to seek accountability.
It’s a stunning betrayal for those who have already endured unimaginable harm.
For much of my own life, I have been connected to the foster care system in one way or another, first as a foster youth, later as a caregiver and now as a professional advocate.
Over the years, I have seen the very best of humanity in this system. I have watched foster parents, social workers, and advocates go the extra mile to comfort and care for children who have experienced unthinkable trauma.
But I have also witnessed the very worst. I’ve seen children who were removed from their homes in the name of “protection” be abused again by the very systems meant to keep them safe.
This new legislation would add to that trauma by denying survivors redress for harms that are well-documented and could have been prevented.
For generations, children placed in county-run facilities experienced widespread abuse, neglect, and exploitation. As far back as 1984, staff members at the notorious MacLaren Children’s Center were arrested on charges of child molestation, yet the abuse continued.
When the state takes custody of a child, it assumes one of the most fundamental responsibilities imaginable: keeping that child safe. L.A. County has failed to fulfill that most basic obligation.