Case Background
Lauren Siegman, a former student at Beverly Hills High School, filed a lawsuit on June 26, 2020, against Henry Friedman, Beverly Hills High School, and Beverly Hills Unified School District. Siegman alleged that Friedman, a teacher and head coach of the varsity baseball and football teams, sexually assaulted and abused her over a period of approximately three years while she was a minor student at the school between 1978 and 1981. The case proceeded to jury trial against Beverly Hills Unified School District. The complaint was brought pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure Section 340.1, which revived claims for childhood sexual assault.
Cause
The First Amended Complaint raised five causes of action: sexual abuse of a minor and intentional infliction of emotional distress against Friedman, and negligent hiring, supervision, or retention of an employee, dangerous condition on property, and negligence against Beverly Hills High School and Beverly Hills Unified School District. Siegman alleged that the school and district failed to adequately investigate, hire, train, and supervise Friedman, and that they knew or should have known he was unfit to serve as a teacher and coach working with minors. She further alleged that the school and district allowed a dangerous condition to exist on campus in the form of a basement equipment room in the swim gym, described as dungeon-like, with no windows, a single door lockable from the inside, and a black curtain with no educational or athletic purpose. The case proceeded to jury trial against Beverly Hills Unified School District on the negligent supervision and retention claim.
Injury
Siegman alleged severe and permanent emotional and psychological injuries resulting from the sexual abuse she endured as a minor. According to the complaint, Siegman was never able to trust men, was unable to maintain meaningful relationships, never married, and never had children as a result of the abuse. She spent considerable time in therapy over the years but continued to suffer nightmares and constant thoughts about the abuse.
Damages Sought
Siegman sought general and special damages, punitive damages, and costs of suit. The complaint stated that damages exceeded the minimum jurisdictional limits of the Court but did not specify a dollar amount.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
Legal Representation
Plaintiff: Lauren Siegman
· Counsel for Plaintiff: Stephen D. Weisskopf | David Gammill | Ronald Cohen
Defendant: Beverly Hills Unified School District
· Counsel for Defendant: Harry Harrison | Sabira Sherman | Dana John Mccune | Joseph W. Cheung
Claims
Siegman's First Amended Complaint raised five causes of action. The first cause of action alleged sexual abuse of a minor against Friedman. The second cause of action alleged intentional infliction of emotional distress against Friedman. The third cause of action alleged negligent hiring, supervision, or retention of an employee against Beverly Hills High School and Beverly Hills Unified School District. The fourth cause of action alleged a dangerous condition on property under California Government Code Section 835, targeting a basement equipment room in the school's swim gym that was described as dungeon-like, with no windows, a single lockable door, and a black curtain that provided secrecy for Friedman's conduct. The fifth cause of action alleged general negligence against the school and the district.
According to the complaint, Friedman approached Siegman near the girl's locker room in September 1978, when she was a 15-year-old sophomore and junior varsity cheerleader. Friedman told Siegman he was commissioned by a government health agency to conduct a "study" designed to monitor the growth of female teenagers. He showed her what appeared to be a letter with a government seal and a medical certificate. Friedman instructed Siegman to follow him to the basement equipment room, where he locked the door and began taking body measurements with a tape measure under the pretense of the study. Friedman told Siegman she could not tell her parents or anyone about the study.
The measurement sessions continued through Siegman's 10th, 11th, and 12th grade years. Over time, Friedman escalated the abuse. He instructed Siegman to remove clothing for measurements, questioned her about relationships with boys, offered sexual guidance, and during her 12th grade year instructed her to bring a tampon and demonstrate its use. Friedman ultimately used his own finger during these sessions under the guise of medical guidance.
Siegman learned from a former student at a local gym that Friedman committed similar acts against another female student. Siegman told her mother, who called a school administrator. The complaint alleged that this administrator telephoned Friedman to warn him, giving Friedman time to dispose of evidence in the equipment room. When Siegman and her parents went to the principal's office, Friedman was present and denied the incidents. Friedman eventually pleaded no contest to criminal charges and was placed on a sex offenders registry. The school banned Siegman from the baseball field and games, treating her as the perpetrator rather than the victim.
The special verdict identified three administrators or supervisory employees as relevant to the negligent supervision claim: Sol Levine, Ben Bushman, and Ed Smith.
Defense
Beverly Hills Unified School District filed its answer on October 21, 2020, and denied generally and specifically each allegation in the complaint. The district denied that Siegman suffered damages in any sum.
The district raised twenty-four affirmative defenses. The district argued that the complaint failed to state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. The district contended that injuries were proximately caused by the negligence and liability of other parties and requested an allocation of fault. The district argued that intervening and superseding actions of third parties, including criminal actions, caused the alleged injuries. The district asserted that California Education Code Section 44807 did not impose a mandatory duty on any public entity.
The district further argued that to the extent its employees committed any alleged acts, they acted outside the course and scope of their employment. The district claimed it acted with due care and in accordance with all statutory, regulatory, and contractual requirements. The district also raised defenses of failure to mitigate damages, lack of actual or constructive notice of any dangerous propensities of Friedman, immunity under Education Code Section 44808, waiver under Education Code Section 35330, unclean hands, estoppel, discretionary immunity under Government Code Section 820.2, and that the property was not in a dangerous condition.
Jury Verdict
The case came to trial on October 29, 2025. A jury of twelve persons and three alternates was impaneled and sworn. Witnesses were sworn and gave testimony. The jury heard closing arguments on November 21, 2025, and the case was submitted for deliberation. The jury returned its special verdict on November 26, 2025.
The jury found unanimously that Ed Smith was a supervisory employee. The jury found that administrators or supervisory employees were negligent in the supervision and retention of Henry Friedman. On the question of which individuals were negligent, all twelve jurors found Sol Levine, Ben Bushman, and Ed Smith negligent in the supervision and retention of Friedman, with votes of 12-0 for each.
The jury found that the negligent supervision and retention of Henry Friedman by Beverly Hills Unified School District administrators was a substantial factor in causing harm to Siegman.
The jury awarded Siegman $13,000,000 in past non-economic damages and $3,000,000 in future non-economic damages, for a total of $16,000,000. The jury assigned 40 percent of responsibility for Siegman's harm to Henry Friedman and 60 percent to Beverly Hills Unified School District.
The Court entered judgment on December 9, 2025. Based on the special verdict, Siegman received judgment for past and future non-economic damages in the amount of $9,600,000 against Beverly Hills Unified School District, which represented 60 percent of the total damages of $16,000,000. The judgment carried interest at the rate specified by law, not to exceed seven percent per annum from the date of entry until paid in full. Siegman, as the prevailing party, was entitled to costs against the district, to be determined after submittal of a Memorandum of Costs.
Court documents are available upon request at [email protected]
