The victim is one of 10 girls who have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse against Richard Alexander Turner, a physical education trainer at two San Fernando Valley high schools.
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The family of a girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a former LAUSD trainer is demanding justice for their daughter’s ordeal. The girl, who was a student at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys was one of 10 victims assaulted by Richard Alexander Turner while being attended to for sports injuries. Some of the other victims were students at nearby Van Nuys High School.
Turner, who is currently in jail, has been charged with multiple sex-related counts. When the LAPD released Turner’s name to the public, nine other students came forward with their own accounts of abuse. Also troubling; one of the assaults goes back five years to 2017 for inappropriate touching while Turner was attending to a student for a basketball injury.
The victim and her family are represented by The Dominguez Firm, a personal injury law firm located in Los Angeles. The victim’s mother, Mrs. Helveni Orozco stated, “We immigrated to America for a better life- what happened to our daughter is devastating to us in our pursuit of the American Dream. I encourage other victims to also come forward. We will hold those responsible accountable and just as importantly, make sure this doesn’t happen to other families.” The firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, J.J. Dominguez added, “The family deserves answers from all those responsible. We entrust schools to teach and protect our children. When that trust is broken, there should be serious consequences. The family deserves justice. Schools must promptly investigate concerns and reports of sexual misconduct. It’s vital that schools thoroughly vet the adults they employ before entrusting them with the care of our children.”
There are still many unresolved issues surrounding Turner. Some of the most important are, how many victims are out there? How long did this go on for? Should the schools he worked for have acted sooner or did they fail to do so on concerns and reports of misconduct? This is not the first time the LAUSD has been slow to react to reports of abuse. Holding all responsible parties accountable sends a clear signal that child safety must be a top priority moving forward.
Attorney J.J. Dominguez will be hosting a press conference with the family of one of the victims at the firm’s offices on Tuesday, October 18th at 10am. The victim’s parents will be present and available to answer questions. Both are Spanish speakers.
Location: The Dominguez Firm, 3250 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010 – 5th Floor Patio.
Media Contacts: Rosalia Rodriguez/Media Director (213) 235-2449 and Natasha Dennis/Media Manager (213) 401-1082.
The Dominguez Firm is asking anyone with more information to please contact our office at (800)777-7777. All calls are strictly confidential.
SOURCE The Dominguez Firm, LLP
