SFV Teacher Sex Abuse Case Ends In $24M Settlement

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Unified School District board has agreed to pay $24 million to three women who alleged their San Fernando Valley teacher sexually abused them in his classroom and in front of other students when they were 8 to 9 years-old, their attorney announced Wednesday.

The settlement announced Monday involves three victims identified as Jane Does, who allege David Ostovich abused them in 2006 and 2007 at Langdon Avenue Elementary School in North Hills. The lawsuit alleges Ostovich was hired to teach at Langdon despite dozens of complaints about his behavior toward young girls when he previously worked at Germain Street Elementary School in Chatsworth.

At Germain Street Elementary, dozens of administrators, teachers, parents and students accused Ostovich of inappropriate behavior, according to the suit. L.A. Unified administrators never informed Langdon Avenue Elementary School administrators about the complaints, according to court records.

Patch could not reach Ostovich for comment. According to the Los Angeles Times, he denied wrongdoing in court filings and pleaded no contest to two 2009 charges of battery involving his two fourth-grade victims.

"This is an outrageous case that highlights LAUSD's systemic failure to protect children from known child molesters," plaintiffs' attorney David Ring said. "LAUSD received many complaints about this perpetrator's interactions with girls, and instead of firing him, they ... allowed him to move quietly to another school, where he continued to molest more girls."

In their court papers, LAUSD attorneys maintained the plaintiffs' complaints were defective because school districts are not mandated reporters under the law.

City News Service contributed to this report.