Los Angeles County agrees to dispense $2.7 million to teen victimized in "gladiator combat" encounters at a detention center.
UPDATE: LOS ANGELES COUNTY SETTLES $2.7 MILLION LAWSUIT OVER "GLADIATOR FIGHTS"
In a damning revelation, Los Angeles County authorities have agreed to pay a hefty sum of $2.7 million to a teen victim in a lawsuit implicating staff members for facilitating brutal "gladiator fights" in juvenile detention centers.
The disturbing incident, captured on surveillance footage at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in 2023, shows the 16-year-old boy getting attacked by at least six other detainees while officers watch indifferently. The shocking video footage was first made public during a court hearing that aimed to secure the teen's release before trial, citing his unsafe conditions at Los Padrinos.
Ensuing investigations unearthed a troubling pattern. A staggering 30 correctional officers were indicted for their roles in allowing nearly 70 fights to take place between July and December 2023 in different facilities. The officers now face charges covering child endangerment, abuse, conspiracy, and battery.
Disturbingly, victims as young as 12 were reportedly involved, with a total of more than 140 individuals targeted. The attacks often seemed planned, with the perpetrators choosing specific times and places to carry out the fights.
The perpetration of such violent acts against vulnerable teens in LA County's juvenile detention centers doesn't stop there. Allegations of sexual abuse by staff members have also been brought forth, adding to the existing worries of systemic neglect and misconduct.
Attorney General Rob Bonta vocalized the gravity of the situation, stating, "It seems these attacks were planned, selecting specific times and places for the fights to occur."
As the investigation progresses, further court-ordered reforms are underway, aimed at improving staffing, policies, and oversight within LA County's juvenile justice system. The county has also begun relocating detainees from Los Padrinos in phases, in an attempt to improve management and safety.
Jamal Tooson, the teen's attorney, considers this settlement a significant first step toward acknowledging the egregious actions of the LA County Probation Department. He advocates for reinforcement of the standards for protecting all youth under the care and watch of the juvenile justice system, acknowledging his representation of several more plaintiffs who've suffered similarly elsewhere in the system.
The persistence of such problems, as highlighted by the "gladiator fights," raises serious concerns about the deeply ingrained culture of misconduct within LA County's juvenile justice facilities. As Tooson rightly points out, comprehensive cultural change is the key to addressing these endemic issues.
The appalling incidents in Los Angeles County's juvenile detention centers, such as the "gladiator fights," have prompted discussions in the realm of general-news and politics, as well as crime-and-justice. The troubling pattern of staff neglect and facilitation of violent acts within these facilities, which extend beyond physical abuse to sexual misconduct, demands substantial reform and cultural change.
