An adult woman who alleges she was sexually abused by her high school English teacher will have to undergo an independent psychological examination because she has made her emotional distress an issue in her lawsuit against Los Angeles Unified, a judge has ruled.
On Wednesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel M. Crowley granted the LAUSD’s motion to conduct the examination as part of its defense against the suit brought in April 2021 by a woman identified only as Jane Doe. She was 29 years old when she filed the case against the district and her former teacher, Barry Smolin, who was married and had children.
“The court will allow the requested examination,” a minute order from Wednesday’s court hearing stated. “The examination is limited to eight hours.”
In their court papers, lawyers for Doe urged the judge to limit the examination to no more than eight hours, noting that their client has already sat for a seven-hour deposition.
Smolin is alleged to have begun grooming Doe as a freshman at Hamilton High School during the 2006-07 school year, in part by giving her a copy of a CD of music he made.
During Doe’s sophomore year, Smolin told the plaintiff that he adored her and that hugs between the two were “mandatory,” according to the suit. The alleged grooming continued during Doe’s junior year and the sexual abuse began when she was a senior in the 2009-10 school year, the suit states.
“In fact, on one occasion while Smolin was sexually abusing plaintiff, another teacher walked in and Smolin literally threw plaintiff off of him and onto the seat next to him,” the suit states.
Smolin also provided Doe with alcohol as a way in order to entice her to continue having an inappropriate relationship with him and he also have her drugs, including marijuana and salvia, the suit alleges.
Smolin also gave Doe $300 to buy LSD, telling her she could sell it for a profit, according to the suit.
Doe has suffered humiliation and emotional distress due to the alleged abuses, the suit states.
