Few firms in the nation understand the painful, complicated nature of sexual abuse which occurs on college campuses quite like Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Torrijos. The firm has helped hundreds of women in their pursuit of justice and has obtained more than $1.1 billion on behalf of survivors who suffered traumatic experiences while studying at major universities.
College campus sexual abuse can include:
Our firm is uniquely qualified to represent people who have suffered sexual assault in a college or university setting. In recent years, our attorneys have been at the forefront of representing women whose lives were turned upside down due to the horrific behavior of predators in positions of authority.
In 2021, ASWT made national news in obtaining a historic $852 million settlement against USC on behalf of hundreds of women who were sexually abused by disgraced OBGYN George Tyndall. ASWT’s Managing Partner Mike Arias was co-liaison counsel for the plaintiffs and led the charge in obtaining the largest known settlement in a sexual abuse case in U.S. history as well as the largest known personal injury settlement against a university. ASWT attorneys were also part of the legal team that obtained a $243.6 million settlement on behalf of hundreds of survivors of disgraced UCLA gynecologist James Heaps.
There are dangerous realities on every campus in America:
In addition, survivors of sexual assault frequently develop mental health conditions such as PTSD.
Women in undergraduate programs face a 25.9% rate of nonconsensual sexual contact by physical force or inability to consent, while transgender, genderqueer and nonbinary students face a 22.8% rate. This means that roughly one out of every four of these individuals will face a predator who attempts to commit sexual violence in any number of ways.
In addition, while women make up the largest demographic of survivors of sexual assault on college campuses, many men have been victimized as well. At the University of Michigan, a physician for the team’s famous football team and other athletic programs was accused by more than 1,000 students (overwhelmingly male) of sexual assault. Robert Anderson’s crimes spanned several decades, and while he died in 2008, the pain he caused will be felt for decades to come.
There are numerous avenues available for survivors to fight back. Title IX grants specific powers for a university to exercise in order to perform investigations, and grants women and other vulnerable populations protections under the law. Unfortunately, when many firms bring lawsuits on behalf of the survivors of sexual abuse, it’s often found that university staff fails to properly protect students.
For student populations particularly vulnerable to sexual assault and harassment, having a trusted ally in the fight for justice is important. At our firm, the people we represent are more than clients, we empathize with the life-altering aspects resulting from this type of crime.
The Los Angeles sexual assault attorneys at ASWT are fierce advocates for clients and provide a compassionate environment for all those who have suffered from various forms of sexual abuse and misconduct. The firm’s reputation in litigating past similar cases has helped countless individuals obtain considerable settlement results, but our sex abuse attorneys are always willing and able to take a case all the way to trial when necessary.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual misconduct in a college, university, or other school settings, contact the Los Angeles sex abuse attorneys at