Legal & Law News

Gammil Law Announces Jury Awarding $16 Million In Teacher Sexual Abuse Case

Gammil Law is pleased to announce a Los Angeles County jury has awarded $16 million to a former Beverly Hills High School student in a childhood sexual abuse case against Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) arising from abuse by teacher and coach Henry “Hank” Friedman in the early 1980s. The case, LAUREN SIEGMAN, an individual, Plaintiff, vs. HENRY FRIEDMAN; BEVERLY HILLS HIGH SCHOOL; BEVERLY HILLS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, et al., Case No. 20SMCV00867, was tried in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles. The jury returned its verdict on November 26, 2025. The jury found that BHUSD was negligent in its supervision and retention of Friedman and that the District’s failures were a substantial factor in causing the survivor’s lifelong emotional harm. The entire $16 million verdict was for noneconomic damages, compensating for decades of emotional pain, psychological trauma, and loss of enjoyment of life. The case had previously ended in a mistrial before the plaintiff retained trial lawyer David Gammill of Gammill Law Accident & Injury Lawyers as lead counsel for the retrial. “This verdict sends a clear message: when schools ignore warning signs and protect their reputation instead of their students, there are consequences,” said David Gammill, lead trial counsel and founder of Gammill Law Accident & Injury Lawyers. “Our client carried this trauma for decades. The jury finally had the opportunity to hear her story in full and hold the District accountable.” At trial, the jury heard evidence that Friedman used his position as a trusted teacher and coach at Beverly Hills High School to groom and abuse a vulnerable student, and that BHUSD failed to act on warning signs that should have prompted intervention. The verdict recognizes not only the abuse itself, but more than forty years of emotional fallout. “This case shows that justice is still possible, even when the abuse happened long ago,” Gammill added. “Survivors should know that setbacks in the legal system do not mean the end of the road. With persistence and preparation, juries will do the right thing.” About Gammill Law Gammill Law Accident & Injury Lawyers is a trial firm focused on serious personal injury cases, including wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and childhood sexual abuse. More information about the law firm can be found on their website. Alternatively, a representative for the firm can be contacted directly using the information provided below.