Lawsuit Accuses SOCAL Water Polo Coach of Sexual Abuse
The lawsuit was filed in Superior Court in Los Angeles on August 23, 2023, on behalf of 3 male students who claim they were sexually abused, harassed, and molested by George Harris Jr., who coached aquatic sports and taught regular high school curriculum at El Segundo Unified School District from approximately 1980 through 2009.
According to the lawsuit,
“HARRIS used his position of trust and authority to repeatedly sexually harass and abuse his students, including PLAINTIFFS, for nearly thirty years, by engaging in acts that include, but are not limited to: inquiring about his students’ teenage romances and sexual activities, including whether they were still virgins; suggesting his students engage in specific sexual games and activities with their girlfriends; making explicit requests for sexual activities from his students; carrying on lengthy phone conversations to groom his students for future sexual abuse; serving his students alcohol and marijuana at his private residence as a seduction technique; and engaging in sex acts with his students, including but not limited to manual stimulation of genitalia to orgasm.”
The complaint further alleges that El Segundo Unified School District deliberately concealed Harris’s sexual abuse for decades, continuing to grant him virtually unlimited access to young students in an effort to protect the district's reputation and reduce its liability, despite it having knowledge that Harris repeatedly victimized numerous students, many of whom were abused on school property.
Under Title IX, El Segundo had a duty to report this knowledge to law enforcement, the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the children, and district supervisors, according to the lawsuit.
Related Article: Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Update
Who is George Harris Jr.?
George Harris Jr. graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1974 and subsequently began his career in education at Chaffey High School in Ontario, CA. He began working for El Segundo Unified School District in 1981 as a social science instructor while coaching aquatic sports teams at USC.
In 1991, Harris was hired as a water polo and swim team instructor at El Segundo High School, where he remained employed until the district allowed him to quietly leave in 2009 due to an undisclosed medical condition. Harris's exit from his post was a deliberate attempt to conceal his sexual abuse from the community, law enforcement, and the public at large, according to the lawsuit.
Title IX Prohibits Sexual Harassment and Violence
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a Federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual harassment or sexual violence, such as rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, and sexual coercion. Title IX requires schools to adopt and publish grievance procedures for students to file complaints of sex discrimination, including complaints of sexual harassment or sexual violence.
Were You Abused by George Harris Jr?
If you were on the water polo, swim, or other aquatic sports teams at any of the following schools between 1980-2009, or were otherwise abused by staff at these schools, you should contact the law offices of Schmidt & Clark, LLP, to learn more about your legal rights:
- El Segundo High School
- Arena Continuation High School
- Chaffey High School
- University of Southern California (USC)
Related Articles:
- YMCA Employee Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
- NCAA Sexual Assault Litigation
- Nationwide Teacher Student Sex Abuse Lawsuit
Get a Free George Harris Jr. Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Evaluation With Our Lawyers
The Sexual Abuse Litigation Process Group at Schmidt & Clark, LLP law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus exclusively on the representation of plaintiffs in civil suits. We are handling individual legal processes nationwide and currently filing legal action in all 50 states.
Again, if you or someone you know was abused by George Harris Jr., you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to seek compensation by filing a sex abuse lawsuit and our lawyers can help.
