Last Wednesday, Los Angeles School Police Officer John Taylor successfully defeated a lawsuit filed by a Crenshaw family. The eight-member jury unanimously determined that the officer did not use excessive force against a then-15-year-old Crenshaw High student. Among other charges, the civil rights lawsuit alleged that in February 2005, Taylor grabbed the female student by the collar and belt, threw her to the ground and beat her over the knees with a baton. Taylor’s use of force has drawn criticism from parents and community members throughout the school district, including from Pacific Palisades. In September, the officer was involved in a violent, after-school confrontation with local students and adult bystanders. The verdict was a victory for Taylor and for the Los Angeles Unified School District, which oversees the School Police Department. The Madyun family, who filed the charges, sought emotional damages. ‘We believe that he did not participate in the action he was accused of,’ said LAUSD General Counsel Kevin Reed. ‘If he had done what he was accused of, it would not have been appropriate. According to the officer, he was in a tense situation in a crowd at a basketball game. And he tried to restrain a woman who was going where she was told not to go.’ Calvin House, who defended Taylor, declined to be interviewed for the article. Zshonette Reed, who represented the Madyuns, said she is considering further legal action. ‘It’s unfortunate that these guys prevailed,’ Reed said. ‘[The jury] didn’t seem to care about conflicts in police testimony. The jury believed them, but I believe there was obstruction of justice.’ The family of an eighth-grade Paul Revere student, who was pepper-sprayed outside CVS/Pharmacy in the Palisades last September, filed a complaint against Taylor and demanded an investigation. But last month a family member said that they would not seek legal action, fearing the possible emotional strain of a public trial. There is one pending lawsuit in state court against Taylor from a 2001 incident at Hamilton High School. That case, which was not filed until 2005, was dismissed by a federal court because the statute of limitations had expired, said Frank Sanes, Jr., who represents the former Hamilton student. The court’s decision is currently on appeal. As of November, LAUSD had spent more than $152,000 in legal fees where Taylor is a defendant. An investigation into Taylor’s actions in the Palisades was completed last month. But current privacy laws bar police departments from disclosing the results of internal investigations. Also sealed from the public are the results of at least two other internal investigations into Taylor’s use of force. ———– To contact Staff Writer Max Taves, e-mail reporter@palipost.com or call (310) 454-1321 ext. 28.
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