Victim in 2013 abuse case reaches $6M settlement with Redlands Unified School District

REDLANDS, Calif. (KABC) -- A student victim in a 2013 sexual abuse case received a $6 million settlement with the Redlands Unified School District.

A district spokesperson said the settlement was to avoid further litigation and expense.

"At the urging of legal council, we felt there could be serious damage to the reputation of a very fine school district," said district spokesperson Tom DeLapp.

The case stems from abuses committed by Laura Whitehurst, convicted of having sex with one of her underage students while teaching at Citrus Valley High School in 2013.

Whitehurst got pregnant and had her victim's baby. The victim, only identified as John BB Doe, says administrators and teachers knew about the abuse and turned a blind eye.

In a press conference Friday, district officials denied this.

"We believe that the signing of this by the plaintiff's attorneys ... exonerates the school district," DeLapp said.

Attorneys for the victim said in a statement, "The truth is that the District at the highest levels was well aware and/or highly suspicious that Ms. Whitehurst was molesting students while working as a teacher at Redlands Unified. It intentionally concealed this knowledge from parents and students, including the mother of the victim in this case."