The woman accusing former Los Angeles Lakers star Byron Scott of sexually assaulting her when she was 15 has settled her claims against Campbell Hall, the prestigious Southern California private school
where the alleged incident occurred nearly 40 years ago.
Terms of the settlement are under seal until the completion of the civil lawsuit against Scott, according to a ruling issued in the case last week approving the agreement and obtained by USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday, August 26. The trial is set to begin on Sept. 8 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
According to court documents previously obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the woman accuses the now 65-year-old Scott of sexual battery and false imprisonment. The original lawsuit was filed in 2022 under the California Child Victim's Act, which extended the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse survivors to file civil claims. Scott sought to keep his name out of the documents and requested to use "John Doe."
The lawsuit says in 1987 the Lakers were visiting the accuser's high school, Campbell Hall in the Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles, where the accuser was taking summer classes, after which she "was sexually assaulted by Byron Scott in a locked janitor’s closet in the high school gymnasium." The team was at the school filming instructional basketball videos in the gym and met with the parents, students and teachers.
Campbell Hall was also named as a defendant, and the lawsuit accused the institution of negligence for not protecting the accuser. The school previously attempted to remove itself from the litigation, but a judge ruled against its motion in January. The lawsuit demanded a jury trial and $25,000 for damages, payment of attorney fees, and loss of wages to be paid by Scott and the high school.
Notable Campbell Hall alumni include director Paul Thomas Anderson, actresses Dakota and Elle Fanning and NBA players Jrue, Justin and Aaron Holiday.
Scott was 26 years old and married to his first wife, Anita, at the time of the alleged sexual assault. He has since divorced and remarried. Scott played for the Lakers from 1983 to 1993, winning three NBA championships during the "Showtime" era, and finished his career with the team in 1996-97. Scott also spent 15 seasons as an NBA head coach, most recently with the Lakers in 2015-16.
"Our client is devastated by this complaint," Scott's attorney Linda Bauermeister said in a statement in May 2025 after the lawsuit was initially filed. "Our client believed the plaintiff to be over 18 and had no idea she would claim otherwise until 35 years later. He respects girls and women, and the claims have blindsided him and his family."
Contributing: Scooby Axson
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman accusing Byron Scott of sexual assault settles with school as trial looms
