You Broke the Silence — Now We Break the Defense
You took an oath to protect and serve. You entered a brotherhood where trust is supposed to be the absolute floor. Instead, you describe a nightmare: being stripped, ridiculed, and sexually violated under the guise of “tradition” or “hazing” within a department-affiliated organization. We know the unique terror this creates. It isn’t just the physical trauma; it is the betrayal by the very people who were supposed to have your back.
Right now, you are likely facing the same “code of silence” that kept this hidden for a decade. You are watching as the City of Los Angeles denies responsibility, filing court papers that try to shift the blame onto a football team they claim is a “separate entity.” At Attorney911, we have spent decades exposing these kinds of corporate and institutional shell games. When the City says, “we didn’t know,” or “they weren’t on duty,” we know exactly how to pull the records that prove otherwise.
Past results depend on the facts of each case and do not guarantee future outcomes, but we fight to ensure that no institution is allowed to profit from a culture of violence while washing its hands of the victims. If you are one of the brave officers coming forward, or if you have been subjected to similar abuse in any organization, the legal shield you need is here. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential consultation.
Can an Officer Sue the City for Hazing Within the Department?
The short answer is yes, but the legal path is built to be difficult for you to walk alone. In California, when a public entity like the City of Los Angeles or the LAPD is sued, they often hide behind the “course and scope” defense. They will argue that the officers who committed these acts were acting on their own time, for their own sick reasons, and that the City shouldn’t be held liable for their choices.
Our police misconduct attorneys focus on a theory called Ratification. If we can show that high-ranking command staff knew about these rituals, attended the practices at the high school field in Boyle Heights, or promoted the officers involved after knowing what they did, then the City has ratified that behavior. In the eyes of California law, if the department knew about a hostile environment and failed to stop it, the City can be held responsible for the damages.
Under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), an employer has a non-delegable duty to provide a workplace free from harassment. When a “recreational” team is filled with active-duty officers, many of whom are in positions of authority over the rookies being hazed, that team is the workplace.
The California Laws That Protect You Right Now
Because many of these allegations go back more than a decade, the City is counting on the calendar to save them. Usually, the California Tort Claims Act (Government Code § 810 et seq.) requires you to file a formal claim with the City within six months of the injury. However, recent changes in California law have blown the doors off those old deadlines for survivors of sexual violence.
California AB 218: The “Lookback” Window
California Assembly Bill 218 significantly expanded the statute of limitations for sexual assault claims. This law recognizes that trauma and fear of retaliation—especially within a paramilitary organization like the LAPD—can keep victims silent for years.
“California’s AB 218 potentially allows these decade-old claims to proceed by providing a window for survivors to seek justice for abuse that was previously barred by time.”
If you were subjected to sexual battery or assault during these “Centurions” events, the law now provides a path for you to hold the institution accountable, even if the events happened in 2006 or earlier. We work to handle sexual assault lawsuits by identifying every specific statute that applies to your timeline.
Government Code § 815.2 and Vicarious Liability
In California, a public entity is liable for injury proximately caused by an act or omission of an employee of the public entity within the scope of their employment. The City’s current defense is to claim the Centurions were a separate club. We counter this by looking at:
* Did officers attend practices while on-duty?
* Was the team used for LAPD recruitment or public relations?
* Did the department provide the insurance, equipment, or facilities?
If the department benefitted from the team, they cannot disown it when the “traditions” turn into crimes.
Identifying the Liable Parties in the Centurions Lawsuit
A case this serious requires naming every entity that allowed the abuse to continue. We don’t just look at the individual perpetrators; we look at the system that protected them.
- The City of Los Angeles: As the employer, the City is responsible for negligent supervision and for allowing a culture where peer-on-peer sexual violence could be used as an “initiation.”
- LAPD Leadership: Commanders and supervisors who knew about the hazing and failed to enforce anti-harassment policies have breached their duty to their subordinates.
- The Centurions Organization: Even if the City claims they are separate, this organization is directly liable for the actions of its directors who allegedly participated in or sanctioned the stripping and assault of new players.
- Individual Perpetrators: The officers who physically committed the assaults can be sued for sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
We examine the employment discrimination and harassment angles of every case to ensure we are reaching the deepest insurance towers and the entities most capable of paying the multi-million dollar awards these injuries warrant.
The True Cost of a Derailed Career and a Shattered Reputation
The City’s lawyers will try to minimize your pain. They will call it “locker room talk” or “rowdy behavior.” We call it what it is: a life-altering injury. When we calculate the value of an LA personal injury claim, we are looking at a case value range of $2,500,000 to $15,000,000+ depending on the severity of the trauma.
Economic Damages: The Vanished Future
If you were forced to leave the force because the environment became unbearable (constructive discharge), or if your career path was blocked because you refused to participate in the “culture,” you have lost more than just a job. You have lost a lifetime of:
* High-level base pay and overtime.
* Specialized training and advancement opportunities.
* Pension and retirement benefits that are among the strongest in the country.
* Future earning capacity in the private security or consulting world.
Non-Economic Damages: The Invisible Wounds
The psychological impact of being violated by your peers is immense. Our brain injury and trauma specialists work with forensic psychologists to document:
* PTSD: The nightmares, the hypervigilance, and the inability to trust anyone in a uniform.
* Severe Emotional Distress: The humiliation of being “broken” by people you were supposed to trust with your life.
* Loss of Reputation: The “code of silence” often turns into a smear campaign against the victim. We seek compensation for the damage to your standing in the law enforcement community.
While California Government Code § 818 generally prevents you from getting punitive damages against the City itself, those damages are available against the individual officers and potentially the Centurions organization. Punishment for “extreme and outrageous” conduct is a core part of the justice we seek.
The Insurance-Defense Playbook: How They Plan to Block You
The City Attorney’s office has already started their first play: shifting liability. You need to know their moves so you can counter them.
- The “Social Club” Gambit: They will claim the Centurions is a private non-profit that has nothing to do with the LAPD. We counter this by subpoenaing every email, duty roster, and internal memo that shows on-clock participation and department support.
- The “Delayed Reporting” Attack: They will ask why you waited ten years to speak up. Our answer is backed by the neurobiology of trauma and the well-documented history of retaliation against “whistleblowers” in the LAPD. We show the jury that your silence was a symptom of their intimidation.
- The “Consensual Participation” Lie: They will try to argue that you knew what you were getting into when you joined a football team. We break this by showing that “hazing” involving sexual battery and forced stripping is a crime, and no person can legally “consent” to being a victim of a crime as a condition of their employment.
Protecting the Proof Before the “Blue Wall” Closes
In a case against the police, the evidence is the most fragile part of the fight. The people who control the records are the same people being sued. We move through the discovery process with urgency to lock down:
- LAPD Internal Affairs Records: We look for any prior complaints made against the Centurions. If the department has a folder of “unfounded” complaints about hazing, that proves they had notice.
- Duty Rosters and Timekeeping: We match practice times to the officers’ shift logs. If they were getting paid by the City while they were at the high school field, the City owns the liability.
- Digital Metadata: Photos and videos of “initiations” often circulate on private phones. We move to preserve this data before “accidental” deletions occur.
- The “Ratification” Trail: We look for commendations, awards, and promotions given to the abusers after the department became aware of their behavior.
Why Attorney911 Is the Right Fit for This Fight
Ralph Manginello is a managing partner with over 27 years of experience in high-stakes courtrooms. Before he was a trial lawyer, he was a journalist—he knows how to dig for the truth that institutions try to bury. He is a competitor who hates to see bullies win, and he has a track record of recovering over $50,000,000 for his clients.
Lupe Peña is a former insurance-defense attorney. He has sat in the rooms where the other side decides which claims to pay and which to bury. He knows their software, their delay tactics, and their “valuation” tricks from the inside. Now, he uses that knowledge for the injured. He is also fluent in Spanish and conducts full consultations without the need for an interpreter, ensuring every member of the Los Angeles community has a voice.
We work on a contingency fee basis: 33.33% before trial and 40% if the case goes to trial. We don’t get paid unless we win your case. Your consultation is free, and our staff is live 24/7 to take your call.
Hablamos Español. Our 18-wheeler accident lawyers and personal injury team serve the entire Los Angeles County area, from the Stanley Mosk Courthouse to the neighborhoods of Boyle Heights and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remain anonymous if I sue the LAPD for sexual assault?
Yes, in many cases involving sexual violence, you can file as a “John Doe.” While your identity may become known to the parties during the litigation process, we work to protect your privacy in public records as long as the law allows.
What if the hazing happened many years ago?
California’s AB 218 created a specific path for older sexual assault claims. Even if you were told years ago that you missed your deadline, the law may have changed to give you a new chance at justice.
Will the department retaliate against me for suing?
Retaliation is illegal under California’s FEHA. If the department takes adverse action against you for filing a lawsuit, we add a separate claim for retaliation. This often increases the value of the case significantly, as it proves a “culture of silence.”
Does it matter if I was off-duty during the rituals?
Not necessarily. If the rituals were a required part of the team’s “culture,” and the team was sanctioned or supported by the department, the City can still be held liable for the environment they allowed to exist.
How much does it cost to start a lawsuit like this?
At Attorney911, it costs you nothing out of pocket. We advance all the costs of the investigation, the experts, and the filing fees. We only get reimbursed and paid our fee if we successfully recover money for you.
Can I sue the individual officers who hurt me?
Yes. We often name the individual perpetrators alongside the City. This allows us to seek punitive damages—damages meant to punish them—which the law does not allow us to get from the City itself.
What kind of experts do we use in a hazing case?
We work with police practices experts to define what a “reasonable” department should have done, and forensic psychologists who specialize in the trauma of male sexual assault to explain the long-term impact on your life.
How long will a lawsuit against the City take?
Cases against major municipalities like Los Angeles are hard-fought. The City will likely move to dismiss the case early on. While many cases settle before trial, we prepare every case as if it is going to a jury to ensure we have the most strength at the negotiating table.
Don’t let the City shift the blame. If you have been injured, the time to lock down the proof is now. Call the Legal Emergency Lawyers™ at 1-888-ATTY-911 today.