We Understand Why Eric Uller’s Victims Haven’t Come Forward Sooner 

If you were sexually abused by Eric Uller at Santa Monica's afterschool program, Police Activities Leage (PAL), picking up the phone to call our law firm can be very hard.  It takes tremendous courage. You’ve tried to bury the memories for decades.

The trauma you  endured as a childhood victim of sexual abuse never goes away.  We understand the reasons you haven't come forward sooner:

• You were going to take it to your grave.
• You are terrified that they’ll say “No. You’re lying. This didn’t happen to you.  We don’t believe you.”
• You felt shame.
• You felt guilt for “allowing” it to happen.
• You're a female and you fear you won't be believed because they only talk about Uller abusing boys.
• You thought it was your fault for not speaking up and telling someone when it was happening.
• You felt you were complicit because he gave you money or gifts.
• You thought you’d get in trouble.
• You did not want to be perceived as “gay.”
• You do not want your loved ones to think less of you.
• You do not want to inflict pain on your parents by having them learn about it.
• You thought you were the only one Eric Uller abused.  You had no idea he had been arrested and committed suicide.
• After learning that there were hundreds of victims, you’ve decided to finally come forward and tell your truth and speak up.
• You were incarcerated for years and only recently learned about the lawsuits against PAL and the City of Santa Monica.
• You do not want the most personal, intimate details of what you went through put on display in a public courtroom.
• You fear you will be re-victimized by aggressive defense attorneys who will put YOU on trial.

We know that you are feeling these things because we have spoken to scores of Eric Uller’s victims and this is what they tell us. Uller’s victims’ stories are horrific.  We think we’ve heard it all, that it can’t get any worse, and then we learn we were wrong – it does get worse.

You’ve kept your secret for so long. Now is the time to come forward and stand with other victims. Hold the City of Santa Monica and PAL accountable for allowing Eric Uller to masquerade as a police officer and for ignoring reports of  abuse and giving Uller unfettered access to children for almost 30 years.

Know that you don’t pay us anything upfront to hire us. We get paid at the end of the case, out of the settlement or verdict. If there is no recovery, we are paid nothing.

Your confidentiality will be protected.  If you decide to move forward, know that your name will not be listed on any public records. We will file your lawsuit under a pseudonym; you will be identified as John Doe or Jane Doe.   

Contact our firm for a free consultation.

Seeking Eric Uller Whistleblowers

The attorneys at McGee Lerer Ogrin are seeking information from anyone who can provide intel into how Eric Uller was able to sexually abuse children at Santa Monica’s Police Activities League (PAL) for almost 30 years.

1. Why were reports by parents and children that Eric Uller was sexually abusing children ignored?
2. Who at PAL or the Santa Monica Police Department knew that he was abusing children, and when did they know it?
3. How high in the chain of command at the Santa Monica Police Department did notice go?
4. Did he have blackmail on co-workers or supervisors in the Santa Monica Police Department?
5. Why was he allowed to masquerade as a police officer when he wasn’t one?
6. How was he able to act as a “get out of jail free card” for minors and adults arrested by the Santa Monica Police Department?

If you have any information that can help shed light on how Eric Uller was able to sexually assault children for almost three decades, please contact our firm. 

Your identity will remain confidential. Please help fill in the missing pieces of this puzzle so that this never happens again.

Contact our firm today online or call us at (310) 231-9717 for a free consultation. In matters regarding Eric Uller, you will speak directly with Catherine Lerer and your identity will remain strictly confidential. 

Were You a Victim of Childhood Sexual Abuse by Eric Uller of the Police Activities League (PAL)?

Eric Uller Sexually Abused over 200 Children in the Late 1980s to Early 2000s

The Police Activities League (PAL) is an after-school organization run by the city of Santa Monica. Eric Uller, a volunteer with PAL and a City of Santa Monica employee, sexually assaulted over 200 children during his time with the organization.

Eric Uller abused children over the course of three decades. The abuse began in the late 1980s and continued into the 2000s. Uller preyed predominantly on young Latino boys, mostly from the Santa Monica’s Pico Neighborhood. He targeted vulnerable, underprivileged children, often from single family homes. Uller used his position as a volunteer, then assistant, at the Santa Monica Police Activities League to gain access to, groom, and abuse the children, all the while masquerading as a police officer. Many people, including police officers and PAL employees, attempted to sound the alarm about what Uller was doing, but their concerns were not taken seriously.

While the majority of his victims were boys, he did abuse some girls, and some of his victims were adults. 

Santa Monica has Paid $230 Million to Uller’s Victims

The City of Santa Monica and PAL have paid out approximately $230 million to the 200+ victims who have come forward so far.

There are Victims out there who have not Come Forward

It is believed that there are more victims who have not yet come forward. Eric Uller’s victims are now in their late 20s to early 50s. Their reluctance to come forward is often due to embarrassment and humiliation. Victims have expressed a desire to “take it to the grave.” Many are learning for the first time that Eric Uller abused someone other than just them. Some are coming forward now because they want to be heard, or because they want assistance getting therapy for the trauma.

California’s Deadline for Eric Uller’s Childhood Sexual Abuse Victims to File a Lawsuit

Under California law, Code of Civil Procedure 340.1, the deadline for an Eric Uller’s victims to file a lawsuit for sexual abuse that happened when they were under age 18 is based on the victim’s age.

If Eric Uller victim is under age 40: adult victims of childhood sexual abuse by Eric Uller must file a lawsuit by their 40^th birthday.

If Eric Uller victim is age 40 or older:  A victim can still file a lawsuit if suit is filed within five years of the date that the victim discovers or reasonably should have discovered that psychological injury or illness occurring after age 18 was caused by the sexual abuse.

Contact Us If You Are A Victim with Sexual Abuse Claims

McGee Lerer Ogrin represented 14 of 124 victims in a recent settlement round against PAL and the City of Santa Monica. The 124 victims obtained a global settlement of $122.5 million. We are continuing to offer our assistance to Eric Uller’s victims. We understand how hard it is to come forward. Now is the time. PAL and the City of Santa Monica must be held accountable for their failure to take action, allowing this monster to abuse children for 30 years.

Free Confidential Consultation

We know that your first call to our law firm can be difficult to make. It will stir up memories you have been fighting to suppress for decades. You likely have never told anyone about what Eric Uller did to you. You may have shame and a desperate desire to keep family members from learning what happened to you. We understand. Know that your call is strictly confidential. There is no need for family members to ever find out that you are bringing a claim. Your spouse, parents, siblings, children, and friends do not need to know. If you decide to hire our firm, you will never be publicly identified; you will be named in the lawsuit as “John Doe” or "Jane Doe." Also know that there is no upfront charge to hire us; we only get paid at the end of the case, out of the award or settlement. If we collect nothing, we are paid nothing.

What Happens When You Call Us

We are so very sorry for what you have gone through.  We want to help.  We know how to help.  We encourage you to pick up the phone and make that preliminary call to us. There’s no commitment.  You’ll be put on the line with attorney Catherine Lerer.  She’ll ask some questions.  After that, if you live locally, we’ll ask you to come into our office to meet with her in-person, otherwise, she’ll have a zoom call with you.

We’ll explain the process and answer all your questions.  You decide if you want to move forward. 

For more information about childhood sexual abuse lawsuits involving Eric Uller of the Police Activities League, or to confidentially discuss your situation with our experienced childhood sexual abuse attorneys, call us at (310) 231-9717 or reach out to us online today.