{"id":189449,"date":"2026-02-23T01:58:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T01:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/189449\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T01:58:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T01:58:16","slug":"california-schools-see-insurance-premiums-soar-in-response-to-sex-abuse-law-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/189449\/","title":{"rendered":"California schools see insurance premiums soar in response to sex abuse law changes"},"content":{"rendered":"

SINCE CALIFORNIA MADE IT EASIER for sexual abuse survivors to sue government agencies, victims have brought forth more than $3 billion in claims. But even agencies that haven\u2019t been sued are facing financial hardship as a result of the law \u2014 through skyrocketing insurance premiums.<\/p>\n

School districts, counties and other public agencies in every corner of California have seen their liability insurance premiums soar, in large part because of\u00a0that law<\/a>, which passed in 2019. Some districts have seen their yearly insurance costs jump by $1 million or more.<\/p>\n

To pay the premiums, schools have had to leave teacher vacancies unfilled, scrap renovation projects and make other cuts that affect students. Counties have cut back on public safety, roads, health care and social services.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s become unmanageable,\u201d said Dorothy Johnson, a legislative advocate for the Association of California School Administrators. \u201cWe desperately need guardrails, or the situation will become very dire.\u201d<\/p>\n

School districts and other public agencies are begging the Legislature to intervene by capping the settlements, similar to the way medical malpractice settlements are capped. That could also include capping attorney fees, which can top 40%.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The agencies don\u2019t have traditional private insurance. Some larger ones are self-insured, but most belong to risk pools made up of a few dozen other agencies. So when one agency faces a large settlement, premiums increase for everyone.<\/p>\n

At schools, the law has had a direct impact on student learning, according to research by the California Association of Joint Powers Authorities, which represents public agency risk pools.<\/p>\n

A year after the average school district paid a settlement of $1 million or more, the number of its students who met the state\u2019s math standard fell by 3.7 percentage points, and the number of students meeting the reading standard dropped by 3.4 percentage points, according to the group\u2019s research. The reason, the study states, is that those schools had to cut back on tutoring, after-school programs, field trips and other offerings aimed at helping students stay engaged in school.<\/p>\n

Those numbers are a contrast to statewide scores, which have been generally rising since the pandemic ended.<\/p>\n

\u201cClassrooms are being impacted because there\u2019s money being pulled out of the education system,\u201d said Faith Borges, legislative advocate for the California Association of Joint Powers Authorities. \u201cI don\u2019t think that there\u2019s an understanding that these really, truly are taxpayer dollars. We need to have an informed conversation about where this money is coming from.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no end in sight. The law allows survivors to sue within five years of remembering they were abused, in perpetuity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Public agencies rarely contest plaintiffs\u2019 claims. The main reason is the horrific nature of the incidents; agencies generally believe victims should be compensated. Another reason is the lack of evidence, particularly for cases more than 20 or 30 years old. In those cases, the perpetrator and other school staff are often long gone or even dead, and schools typically don\u2019t have paperwork dating back that long. They often don\u2019t even know who their insurance carrier was.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Taxpayer-funded insurance<\/p>\n

For most public agencies, the size of the settlements is the primary problem. Many exceed $10 million. Los Angeles Unified, the state\u2019s largest district,\u00a0recently issued $500 million in bonds<\/a>\u00a0to settle cases. Los Angeles County\u00a0agreed to pay $4 billion<\/a>\u00a0to settle more the 6,800 claims. The settlements are paid by taxpayers through a combination of the agency\u2019s general fund dollars, reserves and insurance.<\/p>\n

The law that lowered obstacles for sexual abuse survivors to sue,\u00a0AB 218<\/a>, was intended to bring a degree of justice to sexual abuse victims. In some cases, school staff had been abusing students for years, even after administrators learned it was happening. Incidents range from inappropriate comments to rape. A\u00a02004 report\u00a0<\/a>by the U.S. Department of Education estimated that 1 in 10 students nationwide had endured misconduct by school staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To bring further accountability to schools, California\u00a0passed another bill<\/a>\u00a0in October that requires schools to train staff and students on preventing sexual misconduct. The law,\u00a0SB 848<\/a>,\u00a0 also mandates that the state create a database of school employees that have been credibly accused of abuse, in an effort to keep abusers from getting rehired elsewhere and continuing to harm children.<\/p>\n

\"TheGateway Elementary School, part of the Sierra Sands Unified School District, in Ridgecrest on Feb. 2, 2026. (Jules Hotz for CalMatters)<\/p>\n

\u2018Doing the best we can\u2019<\/p>\n

Sierra Sands Unified is a medium-sized district in Ridgecrest, in the high desert about two hours east of Bakersfield. It\u2019s in a remote and harsh environment: Summer months exceed 100 degrees most days, and winter temperatures often drop below freezing. Rain is rare, and dust storms are frequent.<\/p>\n

Those conditions take a toll on school facilities. The relentless sun degrades anything outdoors, including ground cover and play equipment. Maintenance staff remove pieces of monkey bars and slides as they become damaged, leaving \u201cever-shrinking\u201d play equipment on hard-packed dirt, said Superintendent April Moore.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nOlder playground equipment at Gateway Elementary School, part of the Sierra Sands Unified School District, in Ridgecrest, on Feb. 2, 2026. (Jules Hotz for CalMatters)<\/p>\n

\"AA pole with a chain but no play equipment at Gateway Elementary School, part of the Sierra Sands Unified School District, in Ridgecrest on Feb. 2, 2026. The school does not have funds for playground upgrades. (Jules Hotz for CalMatters)<\/p>\n

The district planned to replace its elementary school play structures last year, but had to cut back that plan because of soaring insurance premiums. In the past three years, the district\u2019s yearly total insurance costs have gone up $500,000 a year, to nearly $1.2 million annually. The district\u2019s annual budget is $80 million, nearly 90% of which goes toward salaries. That doesn\u2019t leave much extra to pay for things like repairs.<\/p>\n

As a result, the district was only able to replace two of the seven elementary school play structures. It also had to limit raises for staff, which Moore fears will hamper the district\u2019s ability to attract and retain teachers \u2014 already a tough proposition in such a remote area.<\/p>\n

The cuts have been hard on morale for the entire community, Moore said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want our staff to feel like they\u2019ve settled by staying here, or they\u2019re stuck. I want them to feel valued and respected,\u201d Moore said. \u201cIn our remote area, our students and staff and families are all one. For me, this is all one conversation. Everyone is affected.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moore said she often worries about the future. The district\u2019s insurance premiums are certain to continue increasing, which makes it hard to plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re having to budget for these unknowns. \u2026 Sometimes I feel helpless,\u201d Moore said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s affecting the kids of today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AApril Moore, Ed.D., superintendent of the Sierra Sands Unified School District, at her office in Ridgecrest on Feb. 2, 2026. (Jules Hotz for CalMatters)<\/p>\n

Striking a balance?<\/p>\n

Schools and other public agencies have pushed to reform the laws governing sexual abuse suits. So far, they haven\u2019t gotten anywhere.<\/p>\n

A bill last year<\/a>\u00a0by Sen. John Laird, a Democrat from Santa Cruz, would have reined in the settlements by creating a statute of limitations, but the bill died.<\/p>\n

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, a Democrat, has asked several legislators to \u201cexplore solutions that strike the right balance on this critical issue: ensuring meaningful access to justice for all survivors, while safeguarding schools and cities from financial consequences that could lead to lost or reduced services,\u201d according to Rivas\u2019 spokesman, Nick Miller.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Rivas) has a long history of defending and supporting survivors, and has consistently been a steadfast advocate for survivors of childhood sexual assault,\u201d Miller said. \u201cWe will closely review any proposals brought forward this legislative year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ASpeaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas addresses the media during a news conference at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on Aug. 18, 2025. (Miguel Gutierrez Jr.\/CalMatters)<\/p>\n

Trial attorneys have been aggressive in defending AB 218. Last year, when legislators were considering limits to the law, an Orange County law firm bought social media ads featuring a large photo of Rivas with the words, \u201cSTOP the Predator Protection Law. Stand with Child Victims.\u201d The bill died.\u00a0<\/p>\n

John Manly, a partner at the firm that purchased the ads, said he doesn\u2019t plan to back down.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of idiot politician is going to put up a bill that protects people like Epstein? It\u2019s radioactive,\u201d Manly said. \u201cAny attempt to limit these lawsuits is a cynical, disgusting, wrong-headed attempt to keep the public from knowing the full extent of this problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Manly\u2019s firm has represented thousands of victims who say they were abused in California public schools, he said. He believes schools\u2019 claims of financial hardship are \u201ca scam,\u201d and politicians who seek to cap settlements are essentially enabling child predators.<\/p>\n

\u201cKids who\u2019ve been abused take a hit for life. And we\u2019re going to cap settlements? Any politician who tries to do that we\u2019re going to chase to the ends of the earth,\u201d Manly said.<\/p>\n

\u2018No voice, no power\u2019<\/p>\n

Nancy, a woman who sued Los Angeles Unified in 2020 after she said she was abused in middle and high school, said money was not her primary motivation for filing a claim. It was more about empowerment and seeking changes in the system, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt I had no voice, no power,\u201d said Nancy, who asked that her last name not be used to protect her privacy. \u201cI want to see policies change. Unfortunately, money gets people\u2019s attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nancy was in middle school in the early 1990s when her math teacher began paying her compliments such as \u201cYou\u2019re attractive, intellectually and physically,\u201d and \u201cI like you,\u201d Nancy said. The attention made her feel special, and soon she had developed a friendship with him. By the end of the school year it had become physical, she said.<\/p>\n

In her junior year of high school, a music teacher took a similar interest in her. Because of her previous experience, she was especially vulnerable to his attention, she said.<\/p>\n

She told almost no one about either experience and put it out of her mind for years. In her 30s, she began talking about it with a therapist, and spent years trying to overcome the shame and guilt she felt, she said. Eventually, she felt confident enough to file a police report. A year later, she filed a civil lawsuit against the school district.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In all, Los Angeles Unified\u00a0has faced about 370 abuse claims<\/a>\u00a0since AB 218 passed. Nancy\u2019s former math and music teachers are no longer employed by the district, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope everyone knows that behind every payout is a person, someone who was harmed as a child,\u201d said Nancy, who now works as a special education teacher. \u201cThere\u2019s a soul behind every story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hardships for counties<\/p>\n

In Napa, insurance premiums are expected to climb to $20 million annually in the next few years, said the county\u2019s chief executive officer, Ryan Alsop. Wildfires and other factors have also led to the increase, but abuse claims have also been a significant factor, Alsop said. The county will have to find room in its $400 million general fund to pay it, likely cutting more services.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an extra concern, he said, because President Donald Trump\u2019s cuts to Medicaid and food assistance will soon put new demands on counties to cover the gaps. Statewide, counties will have to come up with an extra $9.5 billion a year to make up for federal funding shortfalls, according to the California State Association of Counties.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a real problem, not just for Napa but for all counties,\u201d Alsop said. \u201cObviously victims deserve justice, but the effects of AB 218 are real.\u201d<\/p>\n

This story originally appeared in CalMatters.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SINCE CALIFORNIA MADE IT EASIER for sexual abuse survivors to sue government agencies, victims have brought forth more…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":189450,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,1843,8,88929,6752,8896,10681,1312,15,3002,88930,52873,1016,3001,1755,15768,8027,22334,16573,16722,88931],"class_list":{"0":"post-189449","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-california","8":"tag-california","9":"tag-california-headlines","10":"tag-california-legislature","11":"tag-california-news","12":"tag-california-state-association-of-counties","13":"tag-calmatters","14":"tag-child-sexual-abuse","15":"tag-counties","16":"tag-courts","17":"tag-education","18":"tag-insurance","19":"tag-insurance-costs","20":"tag-john-laird","21":"tag-lawsuits","22":"tag-legislation","23":"tag-medi-cal","24":"tag-medicare","25":"tag-napa","26":"tag-public-schools","27":"tag-robert-rivas","28":"tag-school-districts","29":"tag-sexual-abuse-lawsuits"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189449\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/189450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}