LOS ANGELES (AP) — A girl is suing former Los Angeles Lakers participant and coach Byron Scott, accusing him of sexually assaulting her throughout a crew occasion at her highschool in 1987, when he was 26 and she or he was 15.
The lawsuit first filed in December 2022 and amended on Could 1 accuses Scott of sexual battery and false imprisonment. Scott, 64, fought to have his identify faraway from court docket paperwork, however a choose denied his request to be recognized solely as “John Doe.” The up to date criticism named him publicly for the primary time.
Throughout a go to from the Lakers, the alleged sufferer was attending summer time lessons at Campbell Corridor Excessive in Los Angeles when “she was sexually assaulted by Byron Scott in a locked janitor’s closet in the high school gymnasium,” based on the court docket submitting. Scott was a Lakers participant on the time.
The lawsuit was filed in 2022 below a California regulation that briefly allowed older instances to be filed for underage plaintiffs. That regulation required the defendant to stay nameless till sure thresholds had been crossed.
Scott’s legal professional, Linda Bauermeister, stated her consumer doesn’t deny that sexual contact occurred, however maintains he thought the woman was of authorized age.
“Our client is devastated by this complaint,” Bauermeister stated in an announcement Wednesday. “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.”
Scott was married to his first spouse, Anita Scott, on the time of the alleged assault. That they had three youngsters and divorced in 2014.
The lawsuit stated the alleged assault occurred in the summertime of 1987 when the Lakers had been on the college to movie an educational basketball video within the fitness center and meet with college students, dad and mom and school members.
A choose dominated final August that Scott might be recognized, and final week the plaintiffs’ attorneys filed the amended criticism naming him.
The go well with additionally names Campbell Corridor Excessive, accusing college officers of negligence for failing to guard the woman. It calls for a trial by jury and over $25,000 for damages together with lack of earnings and legal professional charges to be paid by Scott and the varsity. A message was despatched Wednesday to high school officers looking for touch upon the lawsuit.
Scott, a capturing guard, gained NBA championships in 1985, 1987 and 1988 as a part of the Lakers’ “Showtime” period. He led the crew in scoring with a career-best 21.7 factors in 1987-88.
Scott additionally performed for the Indiana Pacers and then-Vancouver Grizzlies earlier than returning to the Lakers for the 1996-97 season, his final as a participant within the league. He was a valued mentor for a crew that featured Shaquille O’Neal and 18-year-old rookie Kobe Bryant. Scott later was Bryant’s head coach with the Lakers.
He coached within the NBA from 1998 to 2016, together with a head stint with the Lakers. He’s at present teaching within the Philippines.
Scott is at present married to Cece Gutierrez, who has appeared on the “Basketball Wives” actuality present.
The AP typically doesn’t identify victims of alleged sexual assault.
Initially Printed: Could 7, 2025 at 5:14 PM EDT
