FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: PETER BYLSMA
PHONE: 310-795-8532
January 3, 2008
In fiscal years 2002-2005, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) spent more than $183 million on verdicts and settlements and outside counsel to fight or settle lawsuits, according to a new study by California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) titled “The Fourth ‘R’ of California’s School Districts: Ripped Off By Litigation.”
Although the largest in the area, LAUSD is just one of 80 school districts in Los Angeles County. The precedent revealed by LAUSD’s results suggests that collectively, all school districts in Los Angeles County spent millions more on litigation costs.
To put these costs in context, the more than $183 million spent by LAUSD during four fiscal years could have bought 203,335 district students a laptop computer
[1]
or provided 1,464,000 overhead projectors to classrooms.
[2]
“We can hardly afford to spend this type of money on litigation in a time when overburdened budgets continually lead to program cuts in our schools,” said Peter Bylsma, executive director of Los Angeles CALA.
The CALA report also focused on two of California’s other largest school districts; San Diego and Elk Grove. In just one fiscal year (2005) these districts, together with LAUSD, spent $32.8 million in litigation costs.
“Many of these suits are money grabs by personal injury lawyers and others hoping to make a quick buck from a deep pocket, despite what it costs to the hundreds of thousands of students in LAUSD and other local school districts who end up paying the most. While some lawsuits have merit, many of these settlements keep those who deserve justice from getting it,” said Bylsma.
Statewide, this money could have provided substantial supplies for California’s 6.3 million students, including:
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Hallways could have been upgraded with 254,263 school lockers.
[3]
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Graphing calculators could have been provided to 252,327 high school students.
[4]
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More than 22.2 million notebooks could have been purchase to make notetaking easier.
[5]
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The salaries of 566 teachers could have been paid.
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“While a child’s education is priceless, our schools’ budgets are finite. We simply cannot afford to have so much money diverted from education to litigation,” said Bylsma. “We need to teach our children to accept responsibility for their actions, not to seek out others to blame. It is incumbent on all of us to support our schools and teachers by paying greater attention to this issue and putting an end to lawsuit abuse.”
[1]
Sony - VAIO T2060 Notebook Laptop at Bestbuy.com – list price of $899.99.
[3]
Penco 68xx1 - Quick Ship: Vanguard Unit Packaged Lockers - Single Tier - 1 Section (Assembled) - Recessed Handle lockers from Classroom Furniture Direct at a price of $129 each. http://www.classroomfurnituredirect.com
Los Angeles Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse is a nonprofit, grassroots public education organization dedicated to serving as a watchdog over the legal system and those who would seek to abuse it for undeserved gain. For more information, visit www.losangelescala.org.
