'House of Horrors': Twelve Former Residents of MacLaren Hall Sue Los Angeles County for Failing to Protect Them From Sexual Predators at Children's Emergency Shelter

Civil Action Represents First in a Series of Lawsuits From Survivors of Childhood Sexual Assault While in Los Angeles County Custody

LOS ANGELES, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The County of Los Angeles ("The County") has been named in a civil action today alleging that at least one dozen individuals were sexually assaulted as children while housed at MacLaren Children's Center ("MacLaren Hall"), an emergency shelter placement facility that it operated for more than four decades in the City of El Monte. This complaint is the first of a series of lawsuits to be filed by Slater Slater Schulman LLP on behalf of hundreds of former residents repeatedly sexually abused by staff members.

As detailed in the complaint, MacLaren Hall was a ten-acre facility operated by the County between 1961 and 2003 to temporarily house children that were removed from their homes and had nowhere else to live while awaiting placement with a foster family. It was never intended to permanently house children for extended periods of time. Until 1976, MacLaren Hall was managed and run by the Los Angeles County Probation Department; as a result, it was operated more like a prison, rather than a home for dependent children. Guards and staff frequently physically restrained and abused children. Children were frequently sexually assaulted and abused by staff members and other children, based on the total lack of supervision. There have been numerous reports by former residents of being overmedicated, taunted by staff, restrained, physically beaten and mentally abused.

"MacLaren Hall was run like a child prison, with sky-high walls, barbed wire fences, floodlights, and massive gates and doors guarded by probation officers," said Adam P. Slater, Founding Partner of Slater Slater Schulman LLP. "It was a literal house of horrors for the children who were brought there, often taken from an abusive home only to be re-abused at MacLaren. The County of Los Angeles had one responsibility – to protect and care for vulnerable children, but these children were sexually abused by the very people who were supposed to protect them and ignored by other adults when they reported the abuse. Hundreds of children who lived at MacLaren are still suffering from the unimaginable trauma they experienced within its halls."

"The County of Los Angeles systematically failed to protect the welfare of the children in its care at MacLaren Hall for four decades," said James W. Lewis of Slater Slater Schulman. "It was overcrowded, dirty, and inhumane. Through a total lack of supervision, and by failing to respond to reports of abuse, the County stood by as hundreds – if not thousands – of society's most vulnerable children entrusted to its care became victims of sexual assault. They had a responsibility to adequately and properly investigate, hire, train and supervise the staff at MacLaren Hall, and yet they only started performing background checks two years before it closed, resulting in an astounding 17 people being deemed unfit to work with children. It's unconscionable."

The pattern of abuse at MacLaren Hall is well-documented throughout its history:

• In 1976, control of MacLaren Hall was transferred from the County Probation Department to the Department of Social Services following public outcry stemming from the inappropriate treatment of foster children.
• In 1984, five MacLaren Hall employees were arrested following discovery of their crimes against residents, including child molestation and selling drugs to children.
• A year later, in 1985, the County Board of Supervisors requested a grand jury investigation in response to abuse allegations.
• Between 2001-2002, a Los Angeles County civil grand jury report in June 2001, the County ran criminal background checks on existing staff and discovered that at least 17 employees had criminal histories that rendered them ineligible to work at the facility. Four additional employees resigned before their background checks could be completed.
• Nearly two decades later, in 2003, MacLaren Hall was finally shuttered as part of a class action settlement spearheaded by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.

James W. Lewis and Rachel L. Liebert of Slater Slater Schulman LLP are representing well over 200 MacLaren survivors with forthcoming lawsuits. They are encouraging other victims to come forward by calling 310-341-2086 or emailing [email protected].

Victims of child sexual abuse need to understand that the sexual abuse was not their fault. Many victims of child sexual abuse are forced to live with a lifetime of shame, embarrassment, and severe emotional distress and mental pain and suffering. Help is available.

Individuals seeking to be linked to resources for sexual assault survivors can call 800.656.HOPE (4673) to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. The National Sexual Assault Hotline operated by RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) provides confidential support from trained staff members and can assist with finding local healthcare resources, help talk through what happened, and offer referrals for long-term support.

Media Contact:
For Slater Slater Schulman LLP:
Joan Vollero / Anne Hart
Prosek Partners
[email protected] 

SOURCE Slater Slater Schulman LLP