A lawsuit has been filed by male students who claim they were sexually abused by George Harris Jr., a former aquatics coach at El Segundo High School and other schools.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting sexual abuse induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was sexually abused by George Harris Jr., you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Sexual Abuse Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Lawsuit Accuses Aquatics Coach of Sexually Abusing Male Students
In August 2023, a sexual abuse lawsuit was filed against George Harris Jr., a former water polo coach in California.
The lawsuit was filed by several male students who claim they were were sexually abused, harassed, and molested by Harris when he was a water polo coach, swim team coach, or teacher for the El Segundo Unified School District and other schools.
Can I File a Lawsuit?
Our law firm is investigating sexual abuse claims against George Harris Jr., a former aquatics coach and high school teacher.
You may qualify to file a lawsuit and seek compensation if you were sexually abused by Harris in school, on the water polo team, swim team, or other aquatics team from 1980 to 2009 at these schools:
- El Segundo High School
- Arena Continuation High School
- Chaffey High School
- University of Southern California (USC)
How Long Did Harris Have Access to Students?
Harris may have had access to students as early as the 1970s. He graduated from the University of Southern California in 1974 and soon began working at Chaffey High School in Ontario, California.
In 1981, he started working for the El Segundo Unified School District as a social studies teacher. He also began coaching aquatic sports teams at the University of Southern California. He was a water polo and swim team coach at El Segundo High School from 1991 to 2009.
Lawsuit Accuses El Segundo School District of Concealing Abuse
The lawsuit alleges that the “district allowed him to quietly leave in 2009, allegedly in connection with an unverified and undisclosed medical condition, in a deliberate attempt to continue to conceal Harris’s sexual abuse from the El Segundo community, law enforcement, and the public.”
How Did He Groom Male Students for Abuse?
Harris is accused of grooming young male students for sexual abuse during his nearly 30-year employment with the El Segundo Unified School District.
For example, he is accused of denying captain positions to students who would not comply with his demands for sexual gratification. Students who did comply with his demands were forced to engage in highly-personal interaction with Harris every day.
What Is He Accused of Doing?
The lawsuit accuses Harris of using his position of trust and authority to sexually abuse and harass his students, with actions such as:
- Engaging in sex acts with his students
- Manual stimulation of genitalia to orgasm
- Serving students alcohol and marijuana at his home
- Carrying on lengthy phone conversations to groom students for sexual abuse
- Making explicit requests for sexual activities from students
- Suggesting sexual games or activities
- Asking students if they were still virgins
- Inquiring about his students’ romances and sexual activities
- And more
Did School Officials Know?
The lawsuit claims that Harris had a reputation for engaging in sexual activity with students on campus. The El Segundo Unified School District is accused of deliberately concealing his sexual abuse of male students for decades, continuing to give him unfettered access to young students “all to protect Defendant District’s reputation and reduce its liability.”
Do I have a El Segundo Water Polo Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting sexual abuse induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was sexually abused by George Harris Jr., you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Sexual Abuse Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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