latimes--2020-11-15--Making history: Three Korean American women, two representing California, win seats in Congress

By text , by phone and by social media , they trumpeted the news from California to Asia : Late Friday , Young Kim had joined her “ sister ” Michelle Steel in making history as two of the first three Korean American women ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives .
In winning two hotly contested Southern California districts , Kim and Steel helped Republicans push back against the blue wave that resulted in Democrats gaining all seven Orange County congressional seats in the 2018 midterms .
The two Orange County Republicans will be sworn into office in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Marilyn Strickland , a Democrat from western Washington state .
Apart from politics , many Korean Americans said it was a moment to savor .
“ How cool is this ?
” said Ellen Ahn , executive director of the nonprofit Korean Community Services , the largest Korean American social services agency in Orange County .
“ It ’ s amazing that women are making inroads on all political platforms.
” For Steel and Kim , the victories go beyond giving California ’ s beleaguered GOP a boost ; they could offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to appeal to voters outside the white , suburban Republican base .
National exit polls showed that Asian Americans backed Joe Biden over President Trump .
Political analysts say there are lessons in the wins by Steel and Kim , which came even though Biden beat Trump in Orange County , and after years of outreach by local Republicans to Asian communities .
“ It looked like they were taking Asian votes for granted in the past , so they had to start paying more attention to the communities , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy and political science at UC Riverside .
“ These wins prove the Republican Party is still strong in O.C.
, and the message they want to share with people is that you have a home in our party.
” In a rematch of their 2018 contest , Kim , a former state Assembly member , defeated Gil Cisneros with 50.6 % of the vote in the 39th District , which spans Anaheim Hills to Buena Park and includes parts of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties .
Steel triumphed over incumbent Harley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the coastal 48th District , which stretches from Seal Beach to Laguna Niguel .
Workers are still counting provisional and mail-in ballots , but the victories are clear in both districts .
The contests were among the most closely watched battles for the House , and coverage in Korean-language media was intense .
Steel , 65 , said she wouldn ’ t be heading to Washington “ without teamwork .
At this stage , the first feeling I have is relief .
“ It ’ s been tough , ” she added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I stick to my issues , and I ’ m determined to fight for less government regulations and more aid for the small businesses.
” Kim , 58 — who received a congratulatory call from Cisneros , a Navy veteran and lottery winner turned philanthropist — posted a message on her Facebook page Friday evening .
“ As an immigrant to America , I know that the promise of America is alive , ” she said in the video .
“ Thank you for your faith in me , and let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Incheon , South Korea , grew up in Guam before moving to Hawaii , then went to USC to earn a degree in business administration .
The mother of four worked for Ed Royce , then a state senator , and stayed on his staff after his election to the U.S. House of Representatives , devoting more than two decades as his community liaison and director of Asian affairs .
She served in the California Assembly from 2014 to 2016 and , when Royce retired two years ago , decided to run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted for in this election , I hope you know that regardless of any differences we may have , I will always work on your behalf and fight for you , ” Kim said in the video .
Steel , chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors , signaled her intention to continue creating “ stepping stones ” to public office for young Asian Americans .
In an interview last week before her flight to the nation ’ s capital to attend orientation , she reflected on her relationship with Kim .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Steel ’ s mother and Kim ’ s father-in-law taught at the same high school in South Korea .
“ Young and I , we go way back , ” she said .
“ You can be sure we ’ ll be helping one another , doing projects together.
” Last Tuesday , word of Steel ’ s election prompted Kim to post to Facebook an old photo of the two hugging .
“ So excited to see my good friend and sister Michelle Steel win her seat to represent the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congratulations on your hard-fought campaign !
” Steel , a mother of two , is the daughter of a diplomat who moved the family from their native South Korea to Japan .
She later immigrated to the United States to attend Pepperdine University and earned an MBA from USC .
She is married to Shawn Steel , former chairman of the California Republican Party , and has served on the State Board of Equalization .
Ahn said the wins by Steel and Kim “ are such a validation of the immigrant experience .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and having a seat at the highest level of government can be a game-changer .
I hope they don ’ t forget the issues that affect people of color , and healthcare tops that list.
” Strickland , who served as mayor of Tacoma from 2010 to 2018 , challenged legislator and environmental activist Beth Doglio in Washington ’ s 10th Congressional District , which covers the southern portion of Puget Sound from Olympia to the Tacoma suburbs .
Strickland won with 58.1 % of the vote .
In the weeks leading to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Zoom call featuring all five Korean American candidates for Congress , including Andy Kim ( D-New Jersey ) , who won reelection , and David Kim , an immigration attorney who ran unsuccessfully to represent California ’ s 34th District .
“ It was remarkable to have us all talking , ” Strickland said .
“ It ’ s hardly easy running for national office and , as a woman , just think of the calculations we make before we can jump in , ” she added .
“ Not only do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I qualified ?
’ ; you also have to ask , ‘ How ’ s this going to affect everyone else in my family ?
, ’ as women are the primary caregivers.
” Like Vice President-elect Kamala Harris , Strickland , 58 , is of Asian and Black heritage .
“ There are still issues of inequities we need to resolve , ” she said , “ and though I understand my duty to my past , I ’ m also here to represent all of my constituents.
” The rise of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kim and Steele , is partly the result of significant investment by the GOP to diversify its ranks and launch targeted outreach at Asian American voters starting in 2013 , according to observers .
Some of those efforts have been obscured by Trump ’ s actions and caustic comments about immigrants , rhetoric that critics say fuels racism and violence .
In March 2018 , Steel was the only elected official to greet Trump when he arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on his first official trip to California as president .
Kim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s use of the term “ kung flu , ” saying such language incites hate against Asian Americans .
Ramakrishnan said the GOP ’ s Growth and Opportunity Project has aimed to transform the party — it set aside $ 10 million to create better connections with minority communities and spur efforts to recruit and back Asian American candidates .
Most Asian Americans vying for Congress come from districts that are not majority Asian , Ramakrishnan said .
That ’ s true in Steel ’ s 48th District , which is 71.8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11.8 % Latino and 0.5 % Black ; and in Kim ’ s 39th District , which is 49.4 % white , 25.7 % Latino , 24.1 % Asian and 0.8 % Black .
A preliminary analysis shows that in early returns for Steel , her core support came from affluent white neighborhoods , according to the Orange County Civic Engagement Table .
“ I think it was very clear there was an investment by the Republicans in this district , ” said Jonathan Paik , the group ’ s executive director .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ any of the winners : How committed are they to better listen to Asian American voters ?
Are they still going to represent the most vulnerable communities , the ones most struggling and the undocumented ?
Yes , the O.C .
landscape is shifting , and we ’ ll all be watching to see how these officials make their mark.
” Both Paik and Tammy Kim — the top vote-getter in the Irvine City Council election , who will assume her new position in January — said outreach by Kim and Steele in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the relatively small proportion of Asian Americans in their regions .
“ If you believe that every vote counts , they did fully embrace that , ” Tammy Kim said , citing Steel ’ s texts and mailers released in both simplified and traditional Chinese .
Both women also appeared on Vietnamese-language television .
Young Kim had an edge over Cisneros who was “ shut out by Korean media , though he was a strong advocate for the Korean community through his term and did so much for Korean veterans and adoptees through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some immigrants believe that what helped Kim and Steel cement their victories was a mistake made by Jeff LeTourneau , the vice chair of the Orange County Democratic Party , who shared a Facebook post glorifying Ho Chi Minh , the former communist leader of North Vietnam .
His comments led to immediate criticism from politicians of both parties and from the county ’ s conservative-leaning Vietnamese American community , which backed Trump for reelection .
“ Again , Asian American voices are becoming more dominant , as they should be , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington representative , can ’ t forget how her 91-year-old mother reacted upon hearing that her daughter had cleared a historic hurdle .
“ Every generation , people want better for their children .
And she was happy about a 14-point victory , ” Strickland recalled .
“ Then she said , ‘ Now you have to work really hard to get reelected .
’ ”

From left, Young Kim, Michelle Steel and Marilyn Strickland, all newly elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
By text, by phone and by social media, they trumpeted the news from California to Asia: Late Friday, Young Kim had joined her “sister” Michelle Steel in making history as two of the first three Korean American women ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
In winning two hotly contested Southern California districts, Kim and Steel helped Republicans push back against the blue wave that resulted in Democrats gaining all seven Orange County congressional seats in the 2018 midterms.
The two Orange County Republicans will be sworn into office in January alongside a third Korean American congresswoman-elect, Marilyn Strickland, a Democrat from western Washington state.
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Apart from politics, many Korean Americans said it was a moment to savor.
“How cool is this?” said Ellen Ahn, executive director of the nonprofit Korean Community Services, the largest Korean American social services agency in Orange County. “It’s amazing that women are making inroads on all political platforms.”
For Steel and Kim, the victories go beyond giving California’s beleaguered GOP a boost; they could offer the party a way forward, post-Trump, to appeal to voters outside the white, suburban Republican base.
National exit polls showed that Asian Americans backed Joe Biden over President Trump. Political analysts say there are lessons in the wins by Steel and Kim, which came even though Biden beat Trump in Orange County, and after years of outreach by local Republicans to Asian communities.
“It looked like they were taking Asian votes for granted in the past, so they had to start paying more attention to the communities,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, a professor of public policy and political science at UC Riverside. “These wins prove the Republican Party is still strong in O.C., and the message they want to share with people is that you have a home in our party.”
In a rematch of their 2018 contest, Kim, a former state Assembly member, defeated Gil Cisneros with 50.6% of the vote in the 39th District, which spans Anaheim Hills to Buena Park and includes parts of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Steel triumphed over incumbent Harley Rouda with 51.03% of the vote in the coastal 48th District, which stretches from Seal Beach to Laguna Niguel. Workers are still counting provisional and mail-in ballots, but the victories are clear in both districts.
The contests were among the most closely watched battles for the House, and coverage in Korean-language media was intense.
Advertisement
Steel, 65, said she wouldn’t be heading to Washington “without teamwork. At this stage, the first feeling I have is relief.
“It’s been tough,” she added. “What made the difference is I stick to my issues, and I’m determined to fight for less government regulations and more aid for the small businesses.”
Kim, 58 — who received a congratulatory call from Cisneros, a Navy veteran and lottery winner turned philanthropist — posted a message on her Facebook page Friday evening. “As an immigrant to America, I know that the promise of America is alive,” she said in the video. “Thank you for your faith in me, and let’s get to work.”
Kim, born in Incheon, South Korea, grew up in Guam before moving to Hawaii, then went to USC to earn a degree in business administration. The mother of four worked for Ed Royce, then a state senator, and stayed on his staff after his election to the U.S. House of Representatives, devoting more than two decades as his community liaison and director of Asian affairs. She served in the California Assembly from 2014 to 2016 and, when Royce retired two years ago, decided to run for federal office.
“Whoever you voted for in this election, I hope you know that regardless of any differences we may have, I will always work on your behalf and fight for you,” Kim said in the video.
Steel, chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, signaled her intention to continue creating “stepping stones” to public office for young Asian Americans.
In an interview last week before her flight to the nation’s capital to attend orientation, she reflected on her relationship with Kim. The women’s children are close, and Steel’s mother and Kim’s father-in-law taught at the same high school in South Korea.
“Young and I, we go way back,” she said. “You can be sure we’ll be helping one another, doing projects together.”
Last Tuesday, word of Steel’s election prompted Kim to post to Facebook an old photo of the two hugging. “So excited to see my good friend and sister Michelle Steel win her seat to represent the CA-48!” Kim wrote. “Congratulations on your hard-fought campaign!”
Steel, a mother of two, is the daughter of a diplomat who moved the family from their native South Korea to Japan. She later immigrated to the United States to attend Pepperdine University and earned an MBA from USC. She is married to Shawn Steel, former chairman of the California Republican Party, and has served on the State Board of Equalization.
Ahn said the wins by Steel and Kim “are such a validation of the immigrant experience. Having a person who looks like you and having a seat at the highest level of government can be a game-changer. I hope they don’t forget the issues that affect people of color, and healthcare tops that list.”
Strickland, who served as mayor of Tacoma from 2010 to 2018, challenged legislator and environmental activist Beth Doglio in Washington’s 10th Congressional District, which covers the southern portion of Puget Sound from Olympia to the Tacoma suburbs. Strickland won with 58.1% of the vote.
In the weeks leading to the election, she took part in a Zoom call featuring all five Korean American candidates for Congress, including Andy Kim (D-New Jersey), who won reelection, and David Kim, an immigration attorney who ran unsuccessfully to represent California’s 34th District. “It was remarkable to have us all talking,” Strickland said.
“It’s hardly easy running for national office and, as a woman, just think of the calculations we make before we can jump in,” she added. “Not only do you need to ask, ‘Am I qualified?’; you also have to ask, ‘How’s this going to affect everyone else in my family?,’ as women are the primary caregivers.”
Like Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Strickland, 58, is of Asian and Black heritage.
“There are still issues of inequities we need to resolve,” she said, “and though I understand my duty to my past, I’m also here to represent all of my constituents.”
The rise of Korean Americans in Congress, particularly of Kim and Steel, is partly the result of significant investment by the GOP to diversify its ranks and launch targeted outreach at Asian American voters starting in 2013, according to observers. Some of those efforts have been obscured by Trump’s actions and caustic comments about immigrants, rhetoric that critics say fuels racism and violence. In March 2018, Steel was the only elected official to greet Trump when he arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on his first official trip to California as president. Kim, meanwhile, publicly criticized the commander-in-chief’s use of the term “kung flu,” saying such language incites hate against Asian Americans.
Ramakrishnan said the GOP’s Growth and Opportunity Project has aimed to transform the party — it set aside $10 million to create better connections with minority communities and spur efforts to recruit and back Asian American candidates.
Most Asian Americans vying for Congress come from districts that are not majority Asian, Ramakrishnan said. That’s true in Steel’s 48th District, which is 71.8% white, 15.9% Asian, 11.8% Latino and 0.5% Black; and in Kim’s 39th District, which is 49.4% white, 25.7% Latino, 24.1% Asian and 0.8% Black.
A preliminary analysis shows that in early returns for Steel, her core support came from affluent white neighborhoods, according to the Orange County Civic Engagement Table.
“I think it was very clear there was an investment by the Republicans in this district,” said Jonathan Paik, the group’s executive director. “Overall, the questions remain for any of the winners: How committed are they to better listen to Asian American voters? Are they still going to represent the most vulnerable communities, the ones most struggling and the undocumented? Yes, the O.C. landscape is shifting, and we’ll all be watching to see how these officials make their mark.”
Both Paik and Tammy Kim — the top vote-getter in the Irvine City Council election, who will assume her new position in January — said outreach by Kim and Steel in Asian languages leveraged their backgrounds to attract the relatively small proportion of Asian Americans in their regions.
“If you believe that every vote counts, they did fully embrace that,” Tammy Kim said, citing Steel’s texts and mailers released in both simplified and traditional Chinese. Both women also appeared on Vietnamese-language television.
Young Kim had an edge over Cisneros who was “shut out by Korean media, though he was a strong advocate for the Korean community through his term and did so much for Korean veterans and adoptees through legislation,” Tammy Kim said.
Some immigrants believe that what helped Kim and Steel cement their victories was a mistake made by Jeff LeTourneau, the vice chair of the Orange County Democratic Party, who shared a Facebook post glorifying Ho Chi Minh, the former communist leader of North Vietnam. His comments led to immediate criticism from politicians of both parties and from the county’s conservative-leaning Vietnamese American community, which backed Trump for reelection.
“Again, Asian American voices are becoming more dominant, as they should be,” Tammy Kim said.
Strickland, the Washington representative, can’t forget how her 91-year-old mother reacted upon hearing that her daughter had cleared a historic hurdle.
“Every generation, people want better for their children. And she was happy about a 14-point victory,” Strickland recalled. “Then she said, ‘Now you have to work really hard to get reelected.’ ”


latimes--2020-11-15--Column: In L.A., not every moral crusade over real estate is Darth Vader versus Luke Skywalker

As a columnist , I ’ m supposed to offer blistering opinions about the news of the day , with often easily defined contrasts .
Heroes and villains .
Sturm und Drang .
The good ( Dodgers and democracy ) and the bad ( Angels and Trump ) .
Nuance ?
Leave that to my venerated colleague Steve Lopez .
But today , I ’ m struggling with how to feel about a two-story building at 435 S. Boyle Ave. in Boyle Heights that ’ s been on sale since last year .
Built in 1931 , the Spanish Revivalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the International Institute of Los Angeles , a legendary nonprofit that offered classes and camaraderie to immigrant women at a time when few other organizations would .
“ It ’ s an important place for the area , ” said International Institute Chief Operating Officer Sue Eckert as she and maintenance worker Angel Solares guided me around the now-abandoned building on a Friday afternoon .
The group relocated to their Lincoln Heights offices because upkeep on their old home was too much , and they ’ d rather spend every last dollar on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to offering legal services and free meals for kids .
Eckert hoped that a red-hot market might bring in a windfall , ideally from a buyer who might restore the progressive palace , with all profits put into its programs instead of bonuses for executives .
But local preservationists don ’ t trust the International Institute to do that .
Last year , they asked the city to designate it a historic monument and keep it safe from any potential wrecking balls .
The Cultural Heritage Commission approved the move earlier this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a final decision soon .
“ It ’ s just so rich with history , ” said Vivian Escalante , who applied for the designation in her role as president of Boyle Heights Community Partners .
Stating her age as “ Roosevelt High Class of ’ 72 , ” she remembers attending multiple events at the International Institute over the decades .
“ It tells a story that can be a movie.
” But here ’ s the thing : The International Institute doesn ’ t want any landmark status for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t even consulted on the move .
Eckert argues the move has profoundly capped the amount they can earn off their old home .
Early bids were for as much as $ 5 million but were withdrawn once interested parties found out about what Escalante had done ; now , the International Institute is lucky to get any offers that top $ 2 million , she said .
“ I totally understand the why , ” Eckert said .
“ But for us , it ’ s about the how .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the building business.
” “ We ’ re not sitting here waiting for manna from heaven , ” said her boss , International Institute Chief Executive Steve Voss .
“ But all that value is going down the drain .
That ’ s the crime there .
Those are plain facts .
It ’ s indisputable.
” “ They ’ re cutting their noses to spite their face , ” she said of Eckert and Voss .
“ They could open their doors to do fundraisers and save the space .
Do they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income coming in .
They can do that every month , and they are doing absolutely nothing .
“ The building belongs to the community , pretty much .
It was established to serve the community of Boyle Heights , ” she added .
The International Institute needs “ to honor how they got started and respect it.
” Can you have a case where everyone is right and everyone is wrong ?
When it comes to historical real estate in Southern California , almost always .
We often want Southern California to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the edifices of our youth are forever gleaming and occupied .
But practicality should nearly always win out over idealism .
I agree with Eckert and Voss that it ’ s outrageous that anyone can seek a historical designation for a building in Los Angeles even if the owner doesn ’ t want it .
They shouldn ’ t be saddled with an albatross like their former Boyle Heights location , as beautiful and full of memories as it may be , if they don ’ t want it .
But municipalities drafted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have bulldozed our past like an infant kicking at a Lego set .
Take the Puente Learning Center , which looms over the old International Institute .
“ There was a historic Craftsman home there , and now you ’ re looking at this modernized charter school that ’ s out of place , ” Escalante said .
“ We don ’ t want that again.
” I admire her zeal to preserve local history .
In 2018 , Escalante and others futilely tried to save some of the Art Deco buildings of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chicano movement and a springboard for multiple Eastside success stories .
But saying that the old International Institute basically belongs to the “ community ” is just wrong .
It ’ s one thing to fight a craven developer ; it ’ s quite another to bash a nonprofit that ’ s still doing the Lord ’ s work and created the very place you seek to protect .
“ I don ’ t get a penny out of this , ” Voss said .
“ We ’ re doing this because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needy people.
” See what I mean about how hard it is to feel about all this ?
Somewhere in the middle is the USC graduate student who unwittingly sparked this controversy : Laura Dominguez .
The doctoral candidate has studied the history of the International Institute for the last three years and presented her findings at lectures and conferences .
When Escalante found out about Dominguez ’ s expertise , she asked the 32-year-old to write the history portion of her application to the Cultural Heritage Commission .
“ Without Laura already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve lost precious months , ” Escalante said .
And the designation process might ’ ve not happened at all .
Dominguez empathizes with the International Institute ’ s predicament , praising their programs and deeming L.A. ’ s method to designate buildings as historic a “ far-from-ideal process.
” Nevertheless , she added , “ I don ’ t want to come across as insensitive , but we have to put our eye on the bigger issue of whose stories do we tell , whose have been erased , and what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the long run.
” She noted that of about 1,200 historical markers in Los Angeles , only 17 are in Boyle Heights .
The International Institute house deserves to be No .
18 , Dominguez argues .
“ This was a place where women created sanctuaries for themselves , ” she said .
“ They were doing something special .
They deserve to have their memories marked in a public space.
” Neither side is talking to each other , but they ’ re in the same boat in this odd way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The L.A. City Council “ seems to support development over historical preservation , ” Escalante said .
“ The city could not care less about our predicament , ” Voss said .
“ We have opposed this designation once we found out about it and failed at every step.
” So my suggestion : Make peace , pull out your respective Rolodexes , and find a buyer who wants to preserve the original International Institute and doesn ’ t mind over-spending to help out the dual good causes of history and charity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The tie that always binds .

The International Institute of Los Angeles, a legendary nonprofit that offered classes and camaraderie to immigrant women, is selling its old building in Boyle Heights.
As a columnist, I’m supposed to offer blistering opinions about the news of the day, with often easily defined contrasts. Heroes and villains. Sturm und Drang. The good (Dodgers and democracy) and the bad (Angels and Trump).
Nuance? Leave that to my venerated colleague Steve Lopez.
But today, I’m struggling with how to feel about a two-story building at 435 S. Boyle Ave. in Boyle Heights that’s been on sale since last year.
Advertisement
Built in 1931, the Spanish Revivalist structure was home until last year to the International Institute of Los Angeles, a legendary nonprofit that offered classes and camaraderie to immigrant women at a time when few other organizations would.
The International Institute of Los Angeles, which is selling its old building in Boyle Heights, has relocated to Lincoln Heights because upkeep on the former property was too costly, according to a senior executive. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
“It’s an important place for the area,” said International Institute Chief Operating Officer Sue Eckert as she and maintenance worker Angel Solares guided me around the now-abandoned building on a Friday afternoon. The group relocated to their Lincoln Heights offices because upkeep on their old home was too much, and they’d rather spend every last dollar on continuing their mission, which has expanded to offering legal services and free meals for kids.
Eckert hoped that a red-hot market might bring in a windfall, ideally from a buyer who might restore the progressive palace, with all profits put into its programs instead of bonuses for executives.
But local preservationists don’t trust the International Institute to do that.
Last year, they asked the city to designate it a historic monument and keep it safe from any potential wrecking balls. The Cultural Heritage Commission approved the move earlier this year; the City Council is expected to make a final decision soon.
“It’s just so rich with history,” said Vivian Escalante, who applied for the designation in her role as president of Boyle Heights Community Partners. Stating her age as “Roosevelt High Class of ’72,” she remembers attending multiple events at the International Institute over the decades. “It tells a story that can be a movie.”
Advertisement
The International Institute of Los Angeles in Boyle Heights has been on sale since last year. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
But here’s the thing: The International Institute doesn’t want any landmark status for their Boyle Heights campus. They weren’t even consulted on the move.
Eckert argues the move has profoundly capped the amount they can earn off their old home. Early bids were for as much as $5 million but were withdrawn once interested parties found out about what Escalante had done; now, the International Institute is lucky to get any offers that top $2 million, she said.
“I totally understand the why,” Eckert said. “But for us, it’s about the how. We’re in the immigrant-helping business, not the building business.”
“We’re not sitting here waiting for manna from heaven,” said her boss, International Institute Chief Executive Steve Voss. “But all that value is going down the drain. That’s the crime there. Those are plain facts. It’s indisputable.”
Escalante is unapologetic.
“They’re cutting their noses to spite their face,” she said of Eckert and Voss. “They could open their doors to do fundraisers and save the space. Do they? No. There’s zero income coming in. They can do that every month, and they are doing absolutely nothing.
“The building belongs to the community, pretty much. It was established to serve the community of Boyle Heights,” she added. The International Institute needs “to honor how they got started and respect it.”
**
Can you have a case where everyone is right and everyone is wrong?
When it comes to historical real estate in Southern California, almost always.
We often want Southern California to remain like a perpetual Disneyland, where the edifices of our youth are forever gleaming and occupied. But practicality should nearly always win out over idealism.
I agree with Eckert and Voss that it’s outrageous that anyone can seek a historical designation for a building in Los Angeles even if the owner doesn’t want it. They shouldn’t be saddled with an albatross like their former Boyle Heights location, as beautiful and full of memories as it may be, if they don’t want it.
But municipalities drafted regulations like that because too many landlords have bulldozed our past like an infant kicking at a Lego set.
Take the Puente Learning Center, which looms over the old International Institute.
“There was a historic Craftsman home there, and now you’re looking at this modernized charter school that’s out of place,” Escalante said. “We don’t want that again.”
I admire her zeal to preserve local history. In 2018, Escalante and others futilely tried to save some of the Art Deco buildings of Roosevelt High School, sacred ground for the Chicano movement and a springboard for multiple Eastside success stories.
But saying that the old International Institute basically belongs to the “community” is just wrong. It’s one thing to fight a craven developer; it’s quite another to bash a nonprofit that’s still doing the Lord’s work and created the very place you seek to protect.
“I don’t get a penny out of this,” Voss said. “We’re doing this because we want to maximize our money for needy people.”
See what I mean about how hard it is to feel about all this?
Somewhere in the middle is the USC graduate student who unwittingly sparked this controversy: Laura Dominguez.
The doctoral candidate has studied the history of the International Institute for the last three years and presented her findings at lectures and conferences. When Escalante found out about Dominguez’s expertise, she asked the 32-year-old to write the history portion of her application to the Cultural Heritage Commission.
“Without Laura already having all that knowledge, we could’ve lost precious months,” Escalante said. And the designation process might’ve not happened at all.
Dominguez empathizes with the International Institute’s predicament, praising their programs and deeming L.A.’s method to designate buildings as historic a “far-from-ideal process.”
Nevertheless, she added, “I don’t want to come across as insensitive, but we have to put our eye on the bigger issue of whose stories do we tell, whose have been erased, and what are we going to do about that in the long run.”
She noted that of about 1,200 historical markers in Los Angeles, only 17 are in Boyle Heights. The International Institute house deserves to be No. 18, Dominguez argues.
“This was a place where women created sanctuaries for themselves,” she said. “They were doing something special. They deserve to have their memories marked in a public space.”
Neither side is talking to each other, but they’re in the same boat in this odd way: each thinks their cause is doomed.
The L.A. City Council “seems to support development over historical preservation,” Escalante said.
“The city could not care less about our predicament,” Voss said. “We have opposed this designation once we found out about it and failed at every step.”
So my suggestion: Make peace, pull out your respective Rolodexes, and find a buyer who wants to preserve the original International Institute and doesn’t mind over-spending to help out the dual good causes of history and charity.
Ah, distrust of politicians. The tie that always binds.


latimes--2020-11-16--California lawmakers travel to Hawaii conference amid COVID-19 travel warnings

Legislators from California and other states are gathering for an annual conference in Maui this week despite a spike in COVID-19 cases in the Golden State that resulted in travel warnings by health officials .
More than a half dozen California lawmakers are among the 50 people attending a policy conference sponsored by the Independent Voter Project , a nonprofit group , at the Fairmont Kea Lani Hotel in Wailea , with some legislators ’ travel expenses picked up by the hosts .
The four-day conference , at which panels discuss various issues affecting states , began Monday .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 25 California lawmakers in attendance in past years , has faced criticism because it is partially financed and attended by special interests including businesses and labor groups , which lobby legislators .
This year , lawmakers are drawing criticism for their decision to attend the event during the COVID-19 pandemic and as coronavirus cases surge nationwide .
The conference began on the same day that California public officials moved many counties back to the purple reopening tier , reimplementing the state ’ s toughest restrictions for public gatherings and business operations to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We are seeing community spread broadly now throughout the state of California , ” Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Monday .
On Friday , Newsom urged Californians to not travel out of state and to quarantine if they do .
Dan Howle , the chairman of the Independent Voter Project , declined Monday to identify which members of the Legislature were attending the four-day event or to disclose how many are scheduled to fly to Hawaii , saying only that “ multiple members are attending from multiple states ” including California .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Hawaii Safe Travel program and agreement from the hotel to provide adequate social distancing spacing for seating at all meetings , ” Howle said in an email .
“ Based on that [ program ] and conversations with the hotel regarding guest safety we decided we could have a safe and secure event.
” Under Hawaii ’ s Safe Travel Program , which was established on Oct. 15 , those attending the conference must provide Hawaii government health officials and the hotel proof of negative COVID-19 test taken less than 72 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
He said masks and social distancing are required at all meetings and events , and the conference received the approval from Maui County required for meetings larger than 12 people .
The lawmakers ’ decision to fly out of state for the conference drew criticism from Jon Coupal , president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn .
“ This is ‘ do as I say , not as I do , ’ ” Coupal said .
“ This is one of the reasons there is a complete disconnect between ordinary citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Representatives for some legislators confirmed Monday that the lawmakers they work for are not attending , but others did not respond to a request for comment from The Times .
The annual conference has in the past included panel discussions on issues including prisons , biofuel , pollution and transportation .
Last year , lawmakers reported receiving about $ 2,600 each from the event organizers for expenses to attend .
State ethics laws allow legislators to have travel expenses provided by groups if they are speakers at events away from the state .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an issue for the California Legislature , where outbreaks among members forced cancellation of a portion of this year ’ s session , and led to measures including casting votes remotely from district offices .
At least three California state lawmakers have tested positive in recent months , while others have had to go into quarantine after they came into contact with people who had the virus .
Newsom is also facing criticism for recently attending a birthday party at a Napa Valley restaurant with people from other households .
The governor apologized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spirit of the state safety guidelines .
He said he is weighing whether to issue a statewide curfew as public health experts urge a reduction in travel .

Some state lawmakers are attending a conference in Maui despite California issuing travel warnings because of a spike in COVID-19 cases. Above, the state Assembly last year.
Legislators from California and other states are gathering for an annual conference in Maui this week despite a spike in COVID-19 cases in the Golden State that resulted in travel warnings by health officials.
More than half a dozen California lawmakers are among the 50 people attending a policy conference sponsored by the Independent Voter Project, a nonprofit group, at the Fairmont Kea Lani Hotel in Wailea, with some legislators’ travel expenses picked up by the hosts. The four-day conference, at which panel participants discuss various issues including how to reopen states safely amid COVID-19, began Monday.
The annual gathering, which has seen up to 25 California lawmakers in attendance in past years, has faced criticism because it is partly financed and attended by special interests, including businesses and labor groups, that lobby legislators.
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This year, lawmakers are drawing criticism for their decision to attend the event during the COVID-19 pandemic and as coronavirus cases surge nationwide.
The conference began on the same day that California public officials moved many counties back to the purple reopening tier, reimplementing the state’s toughest restrictions for public gatherings and business operations to stem the transmission of the virus.
“We are seeing community spread broadly now throughout the state of California,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday.
On Friday, Newsom urged Californians not to travel out of state and to quarantine if they did so.
Dan Howle, the chairman and executive director of the Independent Voter Project, said Tuesday that Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) was the only California legislator in attendance to give him permission to confirm her presence at the conference. Representatives for Rubio, who has attended the conference in the past, did not return calls for comment Tuesday.
Former Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley, who changed his party affiliation last year and now is listed as an independent, also is attending the Maui conference, a spokesman confirmed late Tuesday while declining further comment.
In addition, Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles) sent a tweet on Sunday that was tagged as coming from Kihei, Hawaii, although her office did not respond to a request to confirm she is attending the conference. The tweet was first reported by Politico.
And Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R-Templeton) reported in a recent campaign finance report that he bought tickets for a flight to Hawaii on Monday to attend a conference, but his representatives have not returned calls to comment on the trip.
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“IVP decided to move forward based on the Hawaii Safe Travel program and agreement from the hotel to provide adequate social distancing spacing for seating at all meetings,” Howle said in an email. “Based on that [program] and conversations with the hotel regarding guest safety we decided we could have a safe and secure event.”
Under Hawaii’s Safe Travels program, established Oct. 15, those attending the conference must provide Hawaii government health officials and the hotel proof of a negative coronavirus test taken less than 72 hours from arrival in Hawaii, Howle said.
He said masks and social distancing were required at all meetings and events, and the conference received the approval from Maui County required for meetings larger than 12 people.
The identity of the attendees at the annual conference is always a touchy subject, with lawmakers often refusing to confirm their attendance until they must report the travel expenses months later.
The lawmakers’ decision to fly out of state for the conference drew criticism from Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn.
“This is ‘do as I say, not as I do,’” Coupal said. “This is one of the reasons there is a complete disconnect between ordinary citizens in California and the political leadership.”
Representatives for some legislators confirmed Monday that the lawmakers they worked for were not attending, but others did not respond to a request for comment from The Times. On Monday, a Times reporter called a cellphone number believed to belong to one Democrat who has attended the event in the past. As the reporter tried to identify himself, the person who answered quickly hung up.
The annual conference has in the past included panel discussions on issues including prisons, biofuel, pollution and transportation, and this year attendees are brainstorming about ways to safely reopen state economies amid the pandemic.
Last year, lawmakers reported receiving about $3,500 each from the event organizers for expenses to attend.
State ethics laws allow legislators to have travel expenses provided by groups if they are speakers at events away from the state.
The ongoing threat of COVID-19 has been an issue for the California Legislature, where outbreaks among members forced cancellation of a portion of this year’s session, and led to measures including casting votes remotely from district offices.
At least three California state lawmakers have tested positive in recent months, while others have had to go into quarantine after coming into contact with people who have the virus.
Newsom is also facing criticism for recently attending a birthday party at a Napa Valley restaurant with people from other households. The governor apologized Monday, saying his behavior contradicted the spirit of the state safety guidelines.
He said he was weighing whether to issue some kind of statewide curfew as public health experts urged a reduction in travel.


latimes--2020-11-16--Man surrenders after allegedly shooting at officers and barricading in Sherman Oaks home

A suspect who led California Highway Patrol officers on a pursuit and allegedly fired at them before barricading himself in a Sherman Oaks home has surrendered , CHP officials said .
After an hours-long pursuit and standoff , the suspect exited a home on the 4500 of Vesper Avenue at about 5 p.m .
He will be booked with a number of charges that are to be determined , said Officer Weston Haver , a spokesman for the CHP .
The incident began at about 12:57 p.m. , when officers pulled over a driver who was speeding in a black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Winnetka Avenue , Haver said .
The driver pulled over to the right shoulder and got out of the vehicle , but a passenger then got into the driver ’ s seat and took off , leading officers on a short pursuit .
Officers believe the suspect fired at them while driving on the 101 Freeway near Havenhurst Avenue , Haver said .
The officers did not shoot back and were not hurt , Haver said .
Officers briefly closed all lanes of the 101 at Havenhurst to look for evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers were called to assist the CHP after the suspect drove to a home near Vesper Avenue and Hortense Street and barricaded himself inside .
The home does not belong to the suspect and its occupants were able to exit safely , Haver said .
Officer Mike Lopez , a spokesman with the LAPD , said officers created a perimeter in the area , “ because he ’ s not coming out peacefully.
” Video of the scene from ABC 7 appears to show a robot delivering a bag containing cigarettes to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was initially pulled over has been detained and is cooperating with officials and answering investigators ’ questions , Haver said .
It ’ s unclear if he will be charged .

The California Highway Patrol investigates after a suspect who led officers on a pursuit on the 101 freeway allegedly fired at them.
A suspect who led California Highway Patrol officers on a pursuit and allegedly fired at them before barricading himself in a Sherman Oaks home has surrendered, CHP officials said.
After an hours-long pursuit and standoff, the suspect exited a home on the 4500 of Vesper Avenue at about 5 p.m. He will be booked with a number of charges that are to be determined, said Officer Weston Haver, a spokesman for the CHP.
The incident began at about 12:57 p.m., when officers pulled over a driver who was speeding in a black Nissan Ultima on the 101 Freeway eastbound at Winnetka Avenue, Haver said.
The driver pulled over to the right shoulder and got out of the vehicle, but a passenger then got into the driver’s seat and took off, leading officers on a short pursuit. Officers believe the suspect fired at them while driving on the 101 Freeway near Havenhurst Avenue, Haver said.
The officers did not shoot back and were not hurt, Haver said. Officers briefly closed all lanes of the 101 at Havenhurst to look for evidence of the shooting.
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Los Angeles Police Department officers were called to assist the CHP after the suspect drove to a home near Vesper Avenue and Hortense Street and barricaded himself inside. The home does not belong to the suspect and its occupants were able to exit safely, Haver said.
Officer Mike Lopez, a spokesman with the LAPD, said officers created a perimeter in the area, “because he’s not coming out peacefully.” Video of the scene from ABC 7 appears to show a robot delivering a bag containing cigarettes to the suspect before he surrendered.
The driver who was initially pulled over has been detained and is cooperating with officials and answering investigators’ questions, Haver said. It’s unclear if he will be charged.


latimes--2020-11-16--Some in L.A. are getting COVID-19 tests so they can party, socialize. Officials call this a disaster

Desperately seeking to find a seemingly responsible way to hold dinner parties , some people have started to get tests for the coronavirus as a way to clear themselves to attend dinner parties without needing to wear masks or keep their distance .
That ’ s absolutely the wrong thing to do , according to Barbara Ferrer , Los Angeles County ’ s director of public health .
Ferrer said on Monday that she has heard of groups of young adults going to get tested for the coronavirus on a Thursday in hopes of getting the negative results by Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party on Saturday night .
But such tests provide a false sense of security — and engaging in this practice can still result in the dinner party becoming a super-spreading event that can transmit the highly contagious virus widely .
“ That ’ s actually a false sense of security .
It ’ s a false narrative , ” Ferrer said .
“ Your test result that you got Saturday morning was from Thursday when you got tested , and it said , ‘ On Thursday , you were negative , ’ ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about whether you ’ re still negative on Saturday .
“ I do want people to understand that testing on Thursday so you can party on Saturday : That doesn ’ t work .
It ’ s not a good idea .
It ’ s not effective and you really are in some ways wasting a valuable resource , ” Ferrer said .
If a person is tested shortly after becoming infected but before the virus has reproduced enough copies of itself , a test could fail to detect the virus and produce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s also possible that a person can be exposed to the virus just after getting a test on a Thursday and be contagious by the time the party is held on a Saturday .
A large percentage of people can get infected with the coronavirus , be highly contagious but never show symptoms of illness .
There has been a jump in coronavirus cases among all age groups in L.A. County , but the rise is particularly “ alarming ” among young adults , who are driving the spread of the pandemic in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ferrer said .
Adults ages 18 to 29 comprise the largest proportion of newly diagnosed coronavirus cases in L.A. County .
In the last month , the case rate for residents of L.A. County ages 18 to 29 has more than doubled , from 11.5 cases per 100,000 residents in this age group to 25 cases per 100,000 residents in this age group .
The age group with the second-highest case rate are adults ages 30 to 45 , which have nearly doubled over the last month , from 9.4 cases per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 cases per 100,000 residents in this age group .
“ And although this rate of increase is not as sharp as that for our younger age group , it is still quite alarming , ” Ferrer said .
reported more than 3,000 new infections on both Saturday and Sunday ; the 3,780 cases on Saturday represented the since mid-July .
Even on Monday , when case counts are typically lower because of reporting lags over the weekend , officials announced 2,795 new cases .
“ It is clear that L.A. County is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , ” Ferrer said .
As the case count swells , officials emphasize that it ’ s essential for residents to follow infection-prevention protocols : Wear a mask in public , wash hands regularly , stay home when sick and keep a physical distance from , and avoiding gathering with , those outside your household .
None of those are novel concepts in the battle against the novel coronavirus .
As Ferrer put it , “ This isn ’ t like we don ’ t know what to do .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ As a community and as individuals , we ’ re going to need to be laser-focused on reducing transmission , ” she said during a briefing .
“ To say many lives are at stake is not an exaggeration.
” As cases explode , officials have discussed several additional steps they can take .
One idea is a set a of some type designed to limit the time businesses are open and people are “ mingling.
” New York last week on restaurants and bars beginning at 10 p.m. Only takeout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include reducing occupancy levels at sites where people are indoors ; dedicating more resources to ensuring businesses follow public health orders ; and encouraging certain safety measures , such as telling everyone who can work from home to go back to doing so , Ferrer said .

L.A. County has seen a jump in coronavirus cases among all age groups but the rise is particularly “alarming” among young adults, a county health official said. Above, cars line up for COVID-19 testing at Dodger Stadium.
Desperately seeking to find a seemingly responsible way to hold dinner parties, some people have started to get tests for the coronavirus as a way to clear themselves to attend dinner parties without needing to wear masks or keep their distance.
That’s absolutely the wrong thing to do, according to Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County’s director of public health.
Ferrer said on Monday that she has heard of groups of young adults going to get tested for the coronavirus on a Thursday in hopes of getting the negative results by Saturday morning, and then having a dinner party on Saturday night.
But such tests provide a false sense of security — and engaging in this practice can still result in the dinner party becoming a super-spreading event that can transmit the highly contagious virus widely.
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“That’s actually a false sense of security. It’s a false narrative,” Ferrer said.
“Your test result that you got Saturday morning was from Thursday when you got tested, and it said, ‘On Thursday, you were negative,’” Ferrer said. “It says nothing about whether you’re still negative on Saturday.
“I do want people to understand that testing on Thursday so you can party on Saturday: That doesn’t work. It’s not a good idea. It’s not effective and you really are in some ways wasting a valuable resource,” Ferrer said.
Tests can provide misleading results.
If a person is tested shortly after becoming infected but before the virus has reproduced enough copies of itself, a test could fail to detect the virus and produce a false negative result.
It’s also possible that a person can be exposed to the virus just after getting a test on a Thursday and be contagious by the time the party is held on a Saturday.
A large percentage of people can get infected with the coronavirus, be highly contagious but never show symptoms of illness.
There has been a jump in coronavirus cases among all age groups in L.A. County, but the rise is particularly “alarming” among young adults, who are driving the spread of the pandemic in the nation’s most populous county, Ferrer said.
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Adults ages 18 to 29 comprise the largest proportion of newly diagnosed coronavirus cases in L.A. County.
In the last month, the case rate for residents of L.A. County ages 18 to 29 has more than doubled, from 11.5 cases per 100,000 residents in this age group to 25 cases per 100,000 residents in this age group.
The age group with the second-highest case rate are adults ages 30 to 45, which have nearly doubled over the last month, from 9.4 cases per 100,000 residents in this age group to 18 cases per 100,000 residents in this age group.
“And although this rate of increase is not as sharp as that for our younger age group, it is still quite alarming,” Ferrer said.
Los Angeles County reported more than 3,000 new infections on both Saturday and Sunday; the 3,780 cases on Saturday represented the highest one-day total since mid-July.
Even on Monday, when case counts are typically lower because of reporting lags over the weekend, officials announced 2,795 new cases.
“It is clear that L.A. County is at a very dangerous point in the pandemic,” Ferrer said.
As the case count swells, officials emphasize that it’s essential for residents to follow infection-prevention protocols: Wear a mask in public, wash hands regularly, stay home when sick and keep a physical distance from, and avoiding gathering with, those outside your household.
None of those are novel concepts in the battle against the novel coronavirus. As Ferrer put it, “This isn’t like we don’t know what to do. This is about getting back to doing what works.
“As a community and as individuals, we’re going to need to be laser-focused on reducing transmission,” she said during a briefing. “To say many lives are at stake is not an exaggeration.”
As cases explode, Los Angeles County officials have discussed several additional steps they can take. One idea is a set a curfew of some type designed to limit the time businesses are open and people are “mingling.” New York imposed a curfew last week on restaurants and bars beginning at 10 p.m. Only takeout orders are allowed after that.
Others include reducing occupancy levels at sites where people are indoors; dedicating more resources to ensuring businesses follow public health orders; and encouraging certain safety measures, such as telling everyone who can work from home to go back to doing so, Ferrer said.


latimes--2020-11-16--UC to pay $73 million to victims of alleged sexual abuse by UCLA gynecologist

The University of California system would pay $ 73 million under a proposed settlement reached Monday in a class-action lawsuit filed by seven women who accused a former UCLA gynecologist of sexual abuse .
James Heaps , 67 , who is currently criminally charged with sexually abusing five patients , is accused in the civil litigation of sexual assault and sexual misconduct from 1983 to 2019 , during his tenure at the UCLA student health center and UCLA Medical Center .
Although there are seven named plaintiffs , the class-action lawsuit could eventually include more than 6,600 patients of Heaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to approve the final settlement .
The agreement filed Monday also requires UCLA to undertake seven reform measures .
UCLA has been accused of keeping Heaps ’ misconduct secret before his arrest in June 2019 for sexually touching two patients in 2017 .
That criminal case expanded in August 2020 when prosecutors charged Heaps with sexual abusing five patients .
He now faces 20 felony counts and is charged with sex crimes spanning a period from 2011 to 2018 .
The charges include sexual battery by fraud , sexual exploitation of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person .
He faces more than 67 years in prison if convicted of all charges .
Since the doctor ’ s arrest in June 2019 , more than 200 women have come forward to report Heaps subjected them to sexually inappropriate comments , touched them sexually during exams without wearing gloves and simulated intercourse with an ultrasound probe .
Heaps ’ medical license was suspended last year after he pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges .
UCLA officials have acknowledged they received complaints about Heaps in 2017 , and he was placed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the school made no public statements about Heaps ’ conduct upon his retirement in 2018 , when it declined to renew his contract , and alerted the college community only after reports of his arrest last year .
According to UCLA , Heaps treated about 5,000 patients for whom the institution has records , and about 1,600 others for whom it does not have details .
Heaps did not admit any wrongdoing or contribute toward the $ 73 million in the agreement , but he did sign off on the settlement ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s announcement , John Manly , a prominent sexual abuse attorney who represents 112 alleged victims of Heaps , said his clients won ’ t be part of the settlement , which was crafted by another law firm .
“ This is a cynical settlement to benefit class-action lawyers and the UC system , ” he said .
“ They struck this deal to avoid victims having their day in court.
” Given the number of potential victims , he said , the settlement could amount to only about $ 12,000 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , UCLA will implement a new process for investigating allegations of sexual assault , harassment and misconduct .
It must also implement a formal chaperone policy for patients .
It must also initiate a training program on boundaries and ensure that patients are informed about reporting misconduct .
The proposed settlement is the latest agreement to give payouts to thousands of patients of male doctors who are accused of sexual assault and sexual misconduct .
A federal judge approved a $ 215-million settlement for 18,000 women who were patients of a former gynecologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Heaps ’ attorney and a UCLA spokesperson did not immediately return requests for comment .

The University of California system would pay $73 million under a proposed settlement reached Monday in a class-action lawsuit filed by seven women who accused a former UCLA gynecologist of sexual abuse.
James Heaps, 67, who is criminally charged with sexually abusing seven patients — not necessarily the same seven —is accused in the civil litigation of sexual assault and sexual misconduct from 1983 to 2019, during his tenure at the UCLA student health center and UCLA Medical Center.
For the record: An earlier version of this article said that Heaps was criminally charged with sexually abusing five women. He was previously charged in five cases, but that has grown to seven.
In addition to the named plaintiffs, the class-action lawsuit could eventually include more than 6,600 patients of Heaps. A U.S. District Court judge will have to approve the final settlement.
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The agreement filed Monday also requires UCLA to undertake reform measures. UCLA has been accused of keeping Heaps’ misconduct secret before his arrest in June 2019 for sexually touching two patients in 2017.
That criminal case expanded in August 2020 when prosecutors charged Heaps with sexual abusing five patients. He now faces 20 felony counts and is charged with sex crimes spanning a period from 2011 to 2018. The charges include sexual battery by fraud, sexual exploitation of a patient and sexual penetration of an unconscious person. He faces more than 67 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
Since the doctor’s arrest in June 2019, more than 200 women have come forward to report Heaps subjected them to sexually inappropriate comments, touched them sexually during exams without wearing gloves and simulated intercourse with an ultrasound probe. Heaps’ medical license was suspended last year after he pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.
UCLA officials have acknowledged they received complaints about Heaps in 2017, and he was placed on leave the following year. But the school made no public statements about Heaps’ conduct upon his retirement in 2018, when it declined to renew his contract, and alerted the college community only after reports of his arrest last year.
According to UCLA, Heaps treated about 5,000 patients for whom the institution has records, and about 1,600 others for whom it does not have details. Heaps did not admit any wrongdoing or contribute toward the $73 million in the agreement, but he did sign off on the settlement’s terms.
One plaintiff, reached by The Times, expressed relief about the settlement. “The trauma that I have been carrying for far too long is one that thousands of other women around the country also share,” she said in a phone interview. “I am relieved that we have reached a resolution that provides a way for other women to come forward in a confidential manner.”
The Times is not naming her or any of the other plaintiffs, in keeping with its policy regarding victims of sexual assault.
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Within minutes of the settlement’s announcement, John Manly, a prominent sexual abuse attorney who represents 112 alleged victims of Heaps, said his clients won’t be part of the settlement, which was crafted by another law firm.
“This is a cynical settlement to benefit class-action lawyers and the UC system,” he said. “They struck this deal to avoid victims having their day in court.” Given the number of potential victims, he said, the settlement could amount to only about $12,000 per person.
However, Elizabeth Kramer, the attorney for the plaintiffs in Monday’s settlement, said the agreement could provide far more money to some individuals.
She said the settlement would create a $73-million fund for survivors, with an automatic payment of $2,500 to settlement class members, who would receive the money without having to take further action. “Those who do wish to come forward can seek up to $250,000,” she said.
Under some circumstances, the agreement allows for awards of more than $250,000.
Kramer added that it “requires critical institutional reforms at UCLA to protect patients and prevent similar abuse from happening again.”
UCLA agreed to create a new process for investigating allegations of sexual assault, harassment and misconduct. It must also implement a formal chaperone policy for patients. It must also initiate a training program on boundaries and ensure that patients are informed about reporting misconduct.
The proposed settlement is the latest agreement to give payouts to thousands of patients of male doctors who are accused of sexual assault and sexual misconduct. A federal judge approved a $215-million settlement for 18,000 women who were patients of a former gynecologist at USC, Dr. George Tyndall.
Heaps’ attorney did not immediately return requests for comment.
UCLA Health issued a statement thanking the women who came forward, adding that the school hopes that “this settlement — which is still subject to court approval — is one small step forward for the patients involved.”
The health system noted that a committee assigned by the university’s Board of Regents completed a study this year of how best to respond to allegations of sexual misconduct by medical professionals.
There is a provision in the settlement that allows the UC regents to pull out of the agreement if more than 250 patients decide to pursue litigation outside the agreement. Manly said he suspects that number could be reached. In 2019, the UC Board of Regents paid $2.25 million to one female patient who alleged that Heaps sexually assaulted her, and $1.3 million to a nurse practitioner he was accused of sexually harassing,


latimes--2020-11-16--State issues coronavirus safety fine to Farmer John plant in Vernon

California ’ s Division of Occupational Safety and Health has fined a Farmer John meatpacking plant in Vernon , as well its temporary staffing agency , for failing to take adequate measures to protect workers from the coronavirus — a move that comes as the workplace safety agency ramps up such penalties against employers .
Cal/OSHA last week issued proposed penalties of $ 58,100 to Smithfield Foods , owner of the Farmer John plant , as well as $ 46,695 to CitiStaff Solutions .
The companies can appeal the fines .
The violations stem from an investigation the agency opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the companies had failed to provide or ensure the use of face coverings , lacked physical distancing on assembly lines and did not train employees on how the virus is spread and ways to avoid infection .
Officials also charged Smithfield Foods with failing to investigate approximately 300 cases of the virus , including at least three hospitalizations .
In a statement , Smithfield Foods said it would “ aggressively defend ” itself against the citations .
The company said that it investigates every coronavirus case among its employees and that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that every single person working at the plant who contracted COVID-19 caught the virus at work.
” Furthermore , the company stated the state ’ s claim that it failed to report a coronavirus-related hospitalization from February “ defies logic ” because it would not have been able to conclude that early on a connection to COVID-19 .
It said that the citations alleging inadequate protections “ relate back to time periods when no meaningful guidance on COVID-19 mitigation measures existed.
” “ Smithfield procured and provided masks , face shields and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , without question , during the time period covered by the Cal/OSHA citation , ” the company said .
“ The only way Cal/OSHA has issued these citations is based on a misguided use of hindsight.
” CitiStaff Solutions did not respond to a request for comment .
During the pandemic , coronavirus outbreaks have hit meat processing plants across the country .
In late May , L.A. County officials reported an outbreak at the Farmer John plant in which at least 153 of more than 1,800 employees tested positive .
The company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including several meatpacking plants — that saw outbreaks .
Smithfield Foods said then it had increased its supply of masks and face shields , installed plexiglass barriers and implemented mass temperature scanning systems to screen workers .
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770 , which represents workers at the plant , had called for its immediate closure , alleging that the company had delayed rolling out precautions until workers became sick and that it had not been transparent about how the virus had spread within the facility .
The union , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement that workers at Farmer John have been urging more safety protections for months .
“ Nothing Smithfield , nor local Farmer John management , has done has been in the interest of workers , ” said UFCW Local 770 President John Grant .
“ The working conditions there have been horrific , and these citations show exactly what workers were exposed to every day they were on the job.
” The fines follow a slew of others that Cal/OSHA began to issue in late August for coronavirus-health violations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ employers , including Overhill Farms , a frozen food manufacturer in Vernon , in which it proposed penalties of $ 222,075 against the company and $ 214,080 against Jobsource North America , its temporary employment agency .
L.A. County is working on ways to better monitor outbreaks at workplaces .
Last week , county supervisors approved a program in which workers from certain sectors , including food manufacturing , will form public health councils to help ensure that employers follow coronavirus safety guidelines .
The councils will pair with third-party organizations that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them report violations .

Workers exit the building at the Smithfield Foods-owned Farmer John plant in Vernon. The plant was fined.
California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health has fined a Farmer John meatpacking plant in Vernon, as well its temporary staffing agency, for failing to take adequate measures to protect workers from the coronavirus — a move that comes as the workplace safety agency ramps up such penalties against employers.
Cal/OSHA last week issued proposed penalties of $58,100 to Smithfield Foods, owner of the Farmer John plant, as well as $46,695 to CitiStaff Solutions. The companies can appeal the fines.
The violations stem from an investigation the agency opened in late May. State officials found that the companies had failed to provide or ensure the use of face coverings, lacked physical distancing on assembly lines and did not train employees on how the virus is spread and ways to avoid infection.
Officials also charged Smithfield Foods with failing to investigate approximately 300 cases of the virus, including at least three hospitalizations.
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In a statement, Smithfield Foods said it would “aggressively defend” itself against the citations. The company said that it investigates every coronavirus case among its employees and that “the agency has taken the surprising position that every single person working at the plant who contracted COVID-19 caught the virus at work.”
Furthermore, the company stated the state’s claim that it failed to report a coronavirus-related hospitalization from February “defies logic” because it would not have been able to conclude that early on a connection to COVID-19. It said that the citations alleging inadequate protections “relate back to time periods when no meaningful guidance on COVID-19 mitigation measures existed.”
“Smithfield procured and provided masks, face shields and other personal protective equipment early and aggressively and, without question, during the time period covered by the Cal/OSHA citation,” the company said. “The only way Cal/OSHA has issued these citations is based on a misguided use of hindsight.”
CitiStaff Solutions did not respond to a request for comment.
During the pandemic, coronavirus outbreaks have hit meat processing plants across the country. In late May, L.A. County officials reported an outbreak at the Farmer John plant in which at least 153 of more than 1,800 employees tested positive. The company was among nine facilities in Vernon — including several meatpacking plants — that saw outbreaks.
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Smithfield Foods said then it had increased its supply of masks and face shields, installed plexiglass barriers and implemented mass temperature scanning systems to screen workers.
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770, which represents workers at the plant, had called for its immediate closure, alleging that the company had delayed rolling out precautions until workers became sick and that it had not been transparent about how the virus had spread within the facility.
The union, which had filed a complaint with Cal/OSHA, said in a statement that workers at Farmer John have been urging more safety protections for months.
“Nothing Smithfield, nor local Farmer John management, has done has been in the interest of workers,” said UFCW Local 770 President John Grant. “The working conditions there have been horrific, and these citations show exactly what workers were exposed to every day they were on the job.”
The fines follow a slew of others that Cal/OSHA began to issue in late August for coronavirus-health violations. It has levied fines against several dozen employers, including Overhill Farms, a frozen food manufacturer in Vernon, in which it proposed penalties of $222,075 against the company and $214,080 against Jobsource North America, its temporary employment agency.
L.A. County is working on ways to better monitor outbreaks at workplaces. Last week, county supervisors approved a program in which workers from certain sectors, including food manufacturing, will form public health councils to help ensure that employers follow coronavirus safety guidelines. The councils will pair with third-party organizations that will educate workers on health orders and help them report violations.


latimes--2020-11-16--New restrictions in San Francisco Bay Area after 'explosion' of new coronavirus cases

San Francisco , now suffering from a “ major surge ” of the coronavirus , moved from the least restrictive tier for reopening to the state ’ s second-most prohibitive zone after many weeks of managing to keep the virus tamped down .
The deteriorating picture in San Francisco reflected worsening health conditions throughout the Bay Area , where rising infections have forced every county into a more restrictive tier .
During an online news confidence , San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Public Health Director Grant Colfax pleaded with residents to avoid travel and gathering outside their households on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved the city from the yellow tier , which indicates virus transmission is minimal , to the red zone for substantial spread .
“ What we are asking people to do is sacrifice , ” Breed said .
Just three weeks ago , San Francisco was being lauded by infectious disease experts for keeping its coronavirus numbers low , despite being the second-densest city in the United States , behind New York .
But though the city made “ incredible gains ” with its cautious reopening and expansive testing during the last several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will now be in jeopardy unless if residents don ’ t follow health rules .
Colfax said the explosion of cases in San Francisco reflected the worsening pandemic in the state and throughout the nation .
Although the city ’ s infection rate remains lower than the national average , “ there is no reason for us to believe we couldn ’ t get up to that average , ” Colfax said .
He said the virus is spreading much more rapidly than it did during a summer peak .
It took 29 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11,000 to 12,000 cases , 18 days to move up to 13,000 and just 12 days to reach 14,000 , he said .
“ Here is San Francisco we are seeing an explosion of new cases throughout the city , ” Colfax said .
As a result of the surge , capacity at indoor gyms will be cut from 25 % to 10 % and offices for nonessential workers will be closed .
The city ended indoor dining on Saturday .
Breed said that forced restaurants to lay off staff and resulted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 300,000 residents have filed for unemployment since the start of the pandemic , she said .
“ We have been a leader in combatting this virus , ” Breed said .
“ We should be so proud that we have done an incredible job .
And now I am asking for more , and I know it is hard .
I know it is hard every single day.
” The counties surrounding San Francisco also reported bleaker conditions on Monday .
Santa Clara , Alameda , Contra Costa and Napa counties were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most restrictive level indicating widespread transmission of the virus .
San Mateo and Marin counties , which were in the orange tier on Nov. 10 for moderate virus spread , moved to the more restrictive red level .

In this Oct. 15, 2020, file photo, United Airlines passengers wait in line to register at the COVID-19 rapid testing site at San Francisco International Airport.
San Francisco, now suffering from a “major surge” of the coronavirus, moved from the least restrictive tier for reopening to the state’s second-most prohibitive zone after many weeks of managing to keep the virus tamped down.
The deteriorating picture in San Francisco reflected worsening health conditions throughout the Bay Area, where rising infections have forced every county into a more restrictive tier.
During an online news confidence, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Public Health Director Grant Colfax pleaded with residents to avoid travel and gathering outside their households on Thanksgiving.
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They said the state has moved the city from the yellow tier, which indicates virus transmission is minimal, to the red zone for substantial spread.
“What we are asking people to do is sacrifice,” Breed said.
Just three weeks ago, San Francisco was being lauded by infectious disease experts for keeping its coronavirus numbers low, despite being the second-densest city in the United States, behind New York.
But though the city made “incredible gains” with its cautious reopening and expansive testing during the last several months, Breed said, those gains will now be in jeopardy if residents don’t follow health rules.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
Colfax said the explosion of cases in San Francisco reflected the worsening pandemic in the state and throughout the nation.
Although the city’s infection rate remains lower than the national average, “there is no reason for us to believe we couldn’t get up to that average,” Colfax said.
He said the virus is spreading much more rapidly than it did during a summer peak. It took 29 days a month ago to move from 11,000 to 12,000 cases, 18 days to move up to 13,000 and just 12 days to reach 14,000, he said.
“Here is San Francisco we are seeing an explosion of new cases throughout the city,” Colfax said.
As a result of the surge, capacity at indoor gyms will be cut from 25% to 10% and offices for nonessential workers will be closed.
The city ended indoor dining on Saturday. Breed said that forced restaurants to lay off staff and resulted in food supplies going to waste. More than 300,000 residents have filed for unemployment since the start of the pandemic, she said.
“We have been a leader in combatting this virus,” Breed said. “We should be so proud that we have done an incredible job. And now I am asking for more, and I know it is hard. I know it is hard every single day.”
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The counties surrounding San Francisco also reported bleaker conditions on Monday.
Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and Napa counties were placed in the purple tier, the most restrictive level indicating widespread transmission of the virus. San Mateo and Marin counties, which were in the orange tier on Nov. 10 for moderate virus spread, moved to the more restrictive red level.


latimes--2020-11-16--Woman and her unborn child are killed in Wilmington shooting, LAPD says

A woman and her unborn child were killed in a Sunday shooting in Wilmington that also left a man wounded , Los Angeles police said Monday .
Arlene Leonor Rodriguez , 24 and seven months pregnant , was sitting in a vehicle parked in the 1100 block of North Neptune Avenue in Wilmington , in the LAPD ’ s Harbor Division , about 11:25 a.m. as the man worked on the engine of the vehicle , police said .
A shooter then “ approached on foot and fired multiple rounds ” into the vehicle before fleeing on foot , police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a local hospital .
The man , who was not identified , suffered an injury that was not considered life-threatening , police said .
Rodriguez and her unborn child were pronounced dead at the hospital .
Police asked anyone with information about the shooting to call Harbor detectives at ( 310 ) 726-7887 or ( 310 ) 726-7884 during business hours , or ( 877 ) LAPD-24-7 after hours or on weekends .
Anonymous tips can also be submitted to L.A .
Regional Crime Stoppers at ( 800 ) 222-TIPS .
The shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , pushing the total number of homicides in L.A. this year to 294 .
The city has not seen more than 300 homicides in a year since 2009 .

The LAPD says a woman and her unborn child were fatally shot Sunday in Wilmington.
A woman and her unborn child were killed in a Sunday shooting in Wilmington that also left a man wounded, Los Angeles police said Monday.
Arlene Leonor Rodriguez, 24 and seven months pregnant, was sitting in a vehicle parked in the 1100 block of North Neptune Avenue in Wilmington, in the LAPD’s Harbor Division, about 11:25 a.m. as the man worked on the engine of the vehicle, police said.
A shooter then “approached on foot and fired multiple rounds” into the vehicle before fleeing on foot, police said.
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The victims were transported to a local hospital. The man, who was not identified, suffered an injury that was not considered life-threatening, police said. Rodriguez and her unborn child were pronounced dead at the hospital.
Police asked anyone with information about the shooting to call Harbor detectives at (310) 726-7887 or (310) 726-7884 during business hours, or (877) LAPD-24-7 after hours or on weekends. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.
The shooting was one of several in the city Sunday, pushing the total number of homicides in L.A. this year to 294. The city has not seen more than 300 homicides in a year since 2009.


latimes--2020-11-16--Boy Scouts deluged with 88,500 sexual abuse claims, dwarfing U.S. Catholic Church's numbers

The Boy Scouts of America will face at least 88,500 claims of sexual abuse in a landmark bankruptcy that could reshape the future of one of the nation ’ s oldest and largest youth organizations , lawyers in the case said Monday as the filing deadline loomed .
The number of claims and the total payouts to settle them will easily eclipse those in the sex abuse scandal that engulfed the U.S. Catholic Church more than a decade ago , plaintiffs ’ lawyers say .
“ This is a staggering number of cases , even beyond what I thought was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Los Angeles attorney who won a $ 20-million judgment against the Scouts in 2010 and represents several hundred accusers in the bankruptcy .
“ The scope of this is something I could never have contemplated.
” The 110-year-old Boy Scouts of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February as it faced a wave of new sex abuse lawsuits after several states , including California , New York and New Jersey , expanded legal options for childhood victims to sue .
The bankruptcy put a hold on hundreds of lawsuits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be negotiated .
It also required new abuse claims to be handled in that venue rather than in state courts .
The Bankruptcy Court set Monday as the “ bar date ” by which the claims must be filed , triggering law firms ’ TV and internet advertisements for prospective clients and a rush of claims in recent months .
In a statement Monday , the organization called the massive response from abuse survivors “ gut-wrenching.
” “ We are devastated by the number of lives impacted by past abuse in Scouting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have come forward , ” it said .
“ We are heartbroken that we can not undo their pain ... .
We are deeply sorry.
” The Boy Scouts conducted its own public outreach this fall , encouraging victims to seek compensation from a trust fund it will establish .
A researcher hired by the Scouts to analyze its internal records last year identified 7,819 suspected abusers and 12,254 victims — a fraction of those who have now filed claims .
One coalition of law firms billing itself as Abused in Scouting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Van Arsdale , a San Diego lawyer involved with the group .
“ The BSA was very effective at getting out the message to the men who suffered as children in their care , ” he said .
“ The question remains if the BSA will make good on their word to make the tens of thousands of lives they altered better .
The BSA failed them once as children ; we hope they do not do it again this time around.
” All claims will be vetted by “ third-party advisors ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan and establishes its compensation fund , the Scouts said Monday , promising to work as “ expeditiously as possible.
” The size of the victims fund has yet to be determined , along with how much of its cost will be footed by the Scouts or their insurers .
Some insurers have balked at covering payouts in sex abuse cases , contending the organization could have prevented the abuse that led to the claims , court records show .
At the time of the bankruptcy , the national organization had assets of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boy Scouts councils separately hold billions more in real estate and other assets , but it is unclear how much they will contribute to the compensation fund .
“ That ’ s all now being negotiated between the Boy Scouts and the creditors committee and other claimants and the insurers , ” said Mones , who sits on that Bankruptcy Court committee representing victims .
“ We are not anywhere close to having what the final number is going to be , or even what the criteria are on which the claims will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Most likely , it will include the severity of abuse and how long it happened.
” Not in doubt , Mones said , is that the Scouts ’ payouts will dwarf those made by the Catholic Church , including the Archdiocese of Los Angeles ’ 2007 settlement of $ 660 million involving more than 500 victims .
“ It has to be in the billions , ” he said , but “ nobody knows how much money is going to be in the pot.
” Lawsuits against the Scouts numbered into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the organization has never disclosed how often it has been sued or how much it has paid in settlements and judgments .
Many of the lawsuits came in the wake of the Los Angeles Times ’ publication in 2012 of internal Scout records involving about 5,000 men on a blacklist known as the “ perversion files , ” a closely guarded trove of documents that details sexual abuse allegations against troop leaders and others dating back a century .
In its yearlong examination of the files , The Times documented hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed to report accusations to authorities , hid the allegations from parents and the public , or urged admitted abusers to quietly resign — and then helped cover their tracks with bogus reasons for their departures .
Accusers cited the files — formally known for decades as the “ ineligible volunteer files ” and now called the Volunteer Screening Database — as evidence the organization knew of pedophiles in its ranks but failed to protect children .
Mones used about 1,200 of the files in a Portland , Ore. , trial to win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2010 on behalf of a man who was sexually abused as a boy in the 1980s .
Mones and others have long insisted that the files reflect only a fraction of the abuse that has occurred in Scouting .
He noted that the Boy Scouts of America holds a rare congressional charter , and he urged lawmakers to investigate the extent of the abuse indicated by the flood of claims .
He predicted that the the post-bankruptcy Boy Scouts of America would be “ a leaner , trimmed-down version ” of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said he also expected its all-American image to suffer .
“ The scope of the problem here is definitely going to change the Norman Rockwell image of the Boy Scouts , ” Mones said .
“ I don ’ t see how people can see the mom-and-apple-pie part of the Boy Scouts anymore .
”

Boy Scouts of America will face more than 92,700 claims of sexual abuse in a bankruptcy that could reshape the future of the organization, lawyers say.
The Boy Scouts of America will face more than 92,700 claims of sexual abuse in a landmark bankruptcy that could reshape the future of one of the nation’s oldest and largest youth organizations, lawyers in the case said Monday as the filing deadline passed.
The number of claims and the total payouts to settle them will easily eclipse those in the sex abuse scandal that engulfed the U.S. Catholic Church more than a decade ago, plaintiffs’ lawyers say.
“This is a staggering number of cases, even beyond what I thought was out there,” said Paul Mones, a Los Angeles attorney who won a $20-million judgment against the Scouts in 2010 and represents several hundred accusers in the bankruptcy. “The scope of this is something I could never have contemplated.”
The 110-year-old Boy Scouts of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February as it faced a wave of new sex abuse lawsuits after several states, including California, New York and New Jersey, expanded legal options for childhood victims to sue.
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The bankruptcy put a hold on hundreds of lawsuits to allow for a potential global settlement to be negotiated. It also required new abuse claims to be handled in that venue rather than in state courts.
The Bankruptcy Court set Monday as the “bar date” by which the claims must be filed, triggering law firms’ TV and internet advertisements for prospective clients and a rush of claims in recent months.
In a statement Monday, the organization called the massive response from abuse survivors “gut-wrenching.”
“We are devastated by the number of lives impacted by past abuse in Scouting and moved by the bravery of those who have come forward,” it said. “We are heartbroken that we cannot undo their pain.... We are deeply sorry.”
The Boy Scouts conducted its own public outreach this fall, encouraging victims to seek compensation from a trust fund it will establish.
A researcher hired by the Scouts to analyze its internal records last year identified 7,819 suspected abusers and 12,254 victims — a fraction of the number who have now filed claims.
California Boy Scout files reveal repeat child abuse by sexual predators Los Angeles Times review of Boy Scout documents shows that a blacklist meant to protect boys from sexual predators too often failed in its mission.
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One coalition of law firms billing itself as Abused in Scouting now represents 16,500 claimants, said Andrew Van Arsdale, a San Diego lawyer involved with the group.
“The BSA was very effective at getting out the message to the men who suffered as children in their care,” he said. “The question remains if the BSA will make good on their word to make the tens of thousands of lives they altered better. The BSA failed them once as children; we hope they do not do it again this time around.”
All claims will be vetted by “third-party advisors” while the national organization develops a reorganization plan and establishes its compensation fund, the Scouts said Monday, promising to work as “expeditiously as possible.”
The size of the victims fund has yet to be determined, along with how much of its cost will be footed by the Scouts or their insurers. Some insurers have balked at covering payouts in sex abuse cases, contending the organization could have prevented the abuse that led to the claims, court records show.
At the time of the bankruptcy, the national organization had assets of more than $1 billion. Local Boy Scouts councils separately hold billions more in real estate and other assets, but it is unclear how much they will contribute to the compensation fund.
“That’s all now being negotiated between the Boy Scouts and the creditors committee and other claimants and the insurers,” said Mones, who sits on that Bankruptcy Court committee representing victims.
“We are not anywhere close to having what the final number is going to be, or even what the criteria are on which the claims will be valued,” he said. “Most likely, it will include the severity of abuse and how long it happened.”
Not in doubt, Mones said, is that the Scouts’ payouts will dwarf those made by the Catholic Church, including the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ 2007 settlement of $660 million involving more than 500 victims.
“It has to be in the billions,” he said, but “nobody knows how much money is going to be in the pot.”
Lawsuits against the Scouts numbered into the hundreds at the time of the bankruptcy, but the organization has never disclosed how often it has been sued or how much it has paid in settlements and judgments.
Many of the lawsuits came in the wake of the Los Angeles Times’ publication in 2012 of internal Scout records involving about 5,000 men on a blacklist known as the “perversion files,” a closely guarded trove of documents that details sexual abuse allegations against troop leaders and others dating back a century.
In its yearlong examination of the files, The Times documented hundreds of cases in which the Boy Scouts failed to report accusations to authorities, hid the allegations from parents and the public, or urged admitted abusers to quietly resign — and then helped cover their tracks with bogus reasons for their departures.
Accusers cited the files — formally known for decades as the “ineligible volunteer files” and now called the Volunteer Screening Database — as evidence the organization knew of pedophiles in its ranks but failed to protect children.
Mones used about 1,200 of the files in a Portland, Ore., trial to win a $19.9-million verdict against the Scouts in 2010 on behalf of a man who was sexually abused as a boy in the 1980s.
Mones and others have long insisted that the files reflect only a fraction of the abuse that has occurred in Scouting. He noted that the Boy Scouts of America holds a rare congressional charter, and he urged lawmakers to investigate the extent of the abuse indicated by the flood of claims.
He predicted that the the post-bankruptcy Boy Scouts of America would be “a leaner, trimmed-down version” of an organization that already was suffering declining membership.
He said he also expected its all-American image to suffer.
“The scope of the problem here is definitely going to change the Norman Rockwell image of the Boy Scouts,” Mones said. “I don’t see how people can see the mom-and-apple-pie part of the Boy Scouts anymore.”