April 16, 2019 - 5:10 PM
LOS ANGELES - The Latest on an $8 million settlement of a sex-abuse lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (all times local):
4:45 p.m.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has apologized for what it calls the "serious harm" done to a 15-year-old girl who was sexually abused by the athletic director at her Catholic high school.
The archdiocese released the statement Tuesday.
Under a settlement approved by a court last week, the archdiocese agreed to pay $8 million to settle a negligence lawsuit involving the girl, who is now 18.
The lawsuit said the archdiocese failed to take action against Juan Barajas despite repeated complaints that he had improper conduct with students at the all-girl San Gabriel Mission High School.
In 2016, he began a sexual relationship with the girl and took her to Las Vegas after his wife discovered the abuse. He was later arrested and sentenced to six years in prison for statutory sexual seduction.
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11:36 a.m.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $8 million to a teenager who was sexually abused by the athletic director at her Catholic high school.
The Los Angeles Times reports Tuesday the award is the highest individual LA archdiocese settlement in a sex abuse case.
Court documents show Juan Barajas repeatedly abused the 15-year-old girl.
He took her to Las Vegas in 2016 after his wife discovered evidence of the abuse on his cellphone.
After five days on the run, authorities rescued the girl and arrested Barajas. He was a health teacher and athletic director at San Gabriel Mission High School.
Barajas pleaded guilty to felony statutory sexual seduction and was sentenced to six years in prison.
The archdiocese did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment.
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Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com/
News from © The Associated Press, 2019