Survivors of childhood sexual abuse deserve compassion, support and justice. The trauma caused by abuse can last a lifetime, and public institutions have a responsibility to acknowledge harm, support survivors and promote accountability.
That belief inspired Assembly Bill 218, a 2019 law intended to expand opportunities for survivors to seek justice by removing the statute of limitations for abuse committed by public employees. The intentions behind AB 218 were honorable: support survivors and hold public institutions accountable. But even well-intentioned laws can create unintended consequences.
Seven years after its passage, AB 218 is increasingly threatening the financial stability of schools and other public agencies throughout California.
The commitment to justice for survivors must remain strong, but we now face an additional challenge: ensuring that the pursuit of accountability does not unintentionally harm current and future students who should not bear the consequences of crimes committed decades ago.
As a school administrator, I see how decisions made in Sacramento directly affect classrooms, school communities and the students we serve. California should be able to compensate survivors of childhood sexual abuse while also preserving the educational opportunities and public services students and families rely upon today. Unfortunately, AB 218 is making that balance increasingly difficult to achieve.
Across California, school districts are facing a growing financial strain. Some settlements and judgments now reach tens of millions of dollars. For many small and rural districts, a single large claim could lead to insolvency.
When districts are forced to divert millions of dollars toward settlements, the impacts on students are immediate and painful. Teacher positions are eliminated. Class sizes face additional strain. Counseling and mental health supports are reduced. Opportunities for students disappear. In the worst cases, districts face insolvency and state takeover. Ultimately, today’s students pay the price.
The Los Angeles Unified School District issued $500 million in settlement obligation bonds to fund its class action settlement, saddling the district with decades of debt that will keep critical funding out of the classroom for a generation. Carpinteria Unified School District in neighboring Santa Barbara County sold surplus property to pay an AB 218 settlement, ending plans for an education workforce housing project that would have addressed local staffing shortages. And small school districts across the state — including many with no AB 218 claims — watch helplessly as skyrocketing insurance premiums drain funds that could otherwise be used to hire staff and serve students.
In Ventura County, where I serve students and families every day, these pressures are not theoretical. All districts in Ventura County, including Ventura Unified, participate in shared insurance and risk management structures designed to protect public resources and promote responsible stewardship. But when liability costs rise sharply across the system, the impact does not stay confined to one district or one claim. It affects the budgets that fund the programs families count on. We should reject the false choice between supporting survivors and protecting schools. California state government can and must do both.
A better path forward would preserve survivors’ rights while creating financial safeguards that protect schools and public agencies from financial collapse. By creating a special state fund to pay settlements, the state of California would ensure meaningful compensation for survivors while prioritizing resources for those who suffered harm rather than allowing large portions of settlements to be consumed by legal fees.
No policy solution will erase the pain experienced by survivors, and no reform will satisfy every stakeholder. But state lawmakers should work collaboratively with survivors, educators, school leaders, local governments, insurers and community members to strengthen AB 218 in a way that honors victims while protecting the students and public institutions that communities depend upon.
Survivors deserve justice. Students deserve opportunity. California can — and must — deliver both.
Dr. Rene Rickard is the State President of the Association of California School Administrators and the Chief Innovation Officer of the Ventura Unified School District.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Why California must reform AB 218 | Your Turn
