Los Angeles Workplace Sexual Abuse Attorney

The AB 2777 revival window allows survivors of institutional sexual abuse — including those abused by priests, deacons, and other clergy — to file civil claims that were previously time-barred, with a hard deadline of December 31, 2026. Survivors who missed the earlier AB 218 window, which closed December 31, 2022, may still be eligible to file in Los Angeles Superior Court under this extended period. Because preparing and serving a civil complaint can take several months, survivors should consult a Los Angeles clergy abuse attorney as soon as possible.

AB 218, signed into law in 2019, amended California Code of Civil Procedure §340.1 to extend the limitations period for childhood sexual abuse to the later of the victim’s 40th birthday or five years from the date the survivor discovers — or reasonably should have discovered — that a psychological injury was caused by the abuse. AB 218 also opened an initial three-year revival window from January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2022, allowing previously time-barred claims to be refiled. This legislation was passed in direct response to widespread clergy abuse scandals, including those involving the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Yes. Under California’s AB 2777 revival window, adult survivors who were sexually abused by priests, deacons, religious brothers, or other church personnel during childhood can sue the Archdiocese of Los Angeles even if their claims would otherwise be time-barred under the standard statute of limitations. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles — one of the largest Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States — has already paid more than $660 million in settlements to abuse survivors since 2006. Survivors must file their Los Angeles Superior Court complaints before December 31, 2026, or lose this right permanently.

Under CCP §340.1, liable parties in a Los Angeles clergy sexual abuse case can include the individual perpetrator, the parish, the diocese or archdiocese, and any supervisors or administrators who knew of the abuse and failed to prevent or report it. California’s negligent hiring, negligent retention, and negligent supervision doctrines hold religious institutions accountable when they knew or had reason to know a clergy member posed a risk of harm to children. Religious orders, nonprofit affiliates, and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles can all be named as defendants in a civil lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Los Angeles can seek compensatory damages covering past and future psychological treatment, medical expenses, lost wages and diminished earning capacity, and pain and suffering. California also permits punitive damages under Civil Code §3294 when the defendant — such as a diocese — acted with malice, oppression, or fraud, which courts have found when institutions concealed known abusers. There is no statutory cap on non-economic damages in California sexual abuse cases, meaning Los Angeles Superior Court juries can award substantial sums reflecting the full scope of a survivor’s harm.

Under CCP §340.1(a)(2), the limitations period does not begin running until the plaintiff discovers — or reasonably should discover — that a psychological injury or illness was caused by childhood sexual abuse, even if that discovery occurs decades after the abuse. California courts have consistently recognized that trauma, shame, and psychological suppression can delay a survivor’s awareness of the connection between their injuries and the abuse, making the discovery rule critical for clergy abuse survivors. Survivors whose memories surfaced in adulthood may still be eligible to file claims under the AB 2777 revival window through December 31, 2026.

No. California law does not require a survivor to file a criminal report as a prerequisite to pursuing a civil lawsuit under CCP §340.1. A civil claim is entirely independent of any criminal prosecution by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office or the Los Angeles Police Department, and survivors may pursue both avenues simultaneously or separately. However, a criminal report creates an official record that can corroborate a civil case, and the LAPD’s Juvenile Division and DA’s Office maintain specialized units for investigating institutional child sexual abuse.

Evidence in an LASC clergy sexual abuse case commonly includes survivor testimony, internal church personnel files, prior complaints made to diocesan officials, therapy records, and witness statements from others who reported the same perpetrator. California courts have authorized plaintiffs to subpoena the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’s internal archives, which in prior litigation revealed that officials tracked abusive clergy without reporting them to law enforcement. Expert psychological testimony explaining delayed disclosure and trauma response is routinely admitted under California Evidence Code §801, and historical church documents have proven decisive in establishing institutional knowledge.

Yes. Under California law, a church or diocese can be held liable under theories of negligent supervision and fraudulent concealment when it knew or had reason to know that a clergy member posed a risk of sexual abuse yet transferred rather than removed him. Prior litigation against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles established that Cardinal Roger Mahony and other officials reassigned known abusers between Los Angeles County parishes for decades, creating documented institutional liability. Evidence of deliberate concealment also supports a claim for punitive damages under California Civil Code §3294, which requires clear and convincing proof that an officer or managing agent authorized or ratified the wrongful conduct.

Yes. Civil clergy sexual abuse claims arising from conduct in Los Angeles County are filed in Los Angeles Superior Court (LASC), with the Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, serving as the primary civil filing location for complex litigation. LASC has been the venue for some of the largest institutional sexual abuse settlements in California history, including cases against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Depending on the number of defendants and related actions, a judge may coordinate multiple clergy abuse cases under the complex civil litigation program at LASC.

AB 218, effective January 1, 2020, created the first revival window under CCP §340.1 for previously time-barred childhood sexual abuse claims, which closed on December 31, 2022, generating hundreds of new filings against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and other California dioceses. The AB 2777 revival window subsequently extended these rights, allowing survivors of sexual abuse in institutional settings — including churches, schools, and other organizations — to file claims through December 31, 2026. Survivors who did not file during the AB 218 window should consult a Los Angeles attorney immediately to evaluate their eligibility under AB 2777 before the 2026 deadline expires without possibility of further extension.

Yes. California courts permit clergy sexual abuse survivors to file civil complaints using a pseudonym such as ‘Jane Doe’ or ‘John Doe’ to protect their identity during public proceedings in Los Angeles Superior Court. Plaintiffs may also seek protective orders under the California Rules of Court to restrict disclosure of identifying information during discovery and at trial. Survivors should request pseudonymous filing at the outset of litigation, as courts have broader discretion to grant this protection early rather than retroactively after the complaint has been publicly docketed.

Yes. California Civil Code §3294 permits a jury to award punitive damages against a religious institution when the plaintiff proves by clear and convincing evidence that an officer, director, or managing agent of the entity acted with malice, fraud, or oppression — conduct courts have found when dioceses concealed known abusers and transferred them to unsuspecting parishes. In the 2007 Archdiocese of Los Angeles settlement of approximately $660 million, exposure to punitive damages played a significant role in driving the institution to resolve cases. Punitive awards in clergy abuse cases are not subject to the same caps that apply in medical malpractice cases, making California one of the most favorable jurisdictions for institutional abuse accountability.

Clergy sexual abuse litigation in Los Angeles Superior Court can take anywhere from 18 months to four or more years depending on whether the case resolves through settlement or proceeds to a jury trial. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles and other large institutional defendants typically conduct extensive discovery — including depositions of bishops and chancellors, production of decades-old personnel files, and forensic review of internal transfer records — which can extend the timeline. Many cases are resolved through mediation or structured settlement conferences, particularly when documentary evidence of the institution’s prior knowledge of abuse is strong, as it has been in numerous LASC clergy abuse matters.

Under the AB 2777 revival window, covered institutions include churches, dioceses, religious orders, and other nonprofit or corporate entities that employed or supervised the perpetrator at the time of the abuse in Los Angeles County. This includes the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, independent Catholic parishes, Episcopal and Protestant congregations, and other religious organizations whose clergy or staff committed acts of sexual abuse against minors. Survivors whose abuse was perpetrated by a clergy member affiliated with any of these entities may be eligible to file civil claims in Los Angeles Superior Court through December 31, 2026, regardless of when the abuse occurred.