The city of Whittier has paid $3.5 million to four women who say they were sexually abused by police officers while participating in the city’s Police Explorer program in the late 1970s, their attorney announced Wednesday.
According to the Whittier Daily News, the city made the payment on Thursday, just before the first of the cases was set to go to trial. The settlement does not include an admission of guilt by the city.
Attorney Anthony DeMarco — who previously helped secure a more than $700 million settlement with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for priest sex crime victims — represented the four women. “Police Explorer programs, and specifically ‘Ride-Alongs,’ are the least safe youth-oriented program in the country when it comes to protecting against minors being sexually assaulted by the adults that are part of the program,” DeMarco said.
As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the lawsuits allege that now-retired officer Charles “Chuck” Drylie supervised the young women through the Explorer program and used “Ride-Along” activities — patrols where a single officer spends an entire shift alone with a single Explorer in a patrol car — to isolate, manipulate, and coerce the girls into sexual activity. The alleged abuse occurred when the victims were between 14 and 18 years old.
The suits further allege that an unnamed corporal who replaced Drylie as Explorer advisor also continued the sexual assaults. According to the Whittier Daily News, a lawyer for the corporal said his client “did nothing wrong” and was dismissed from the case when the notice to dismiss was filed. Drylie could not be reached for comment, and his attorney declined to comment.
In a deposition, DeMarco said that Drylie invoked his right not to incriminate himself. No criminal charges were filed against the officers due to the statute of limitations.
Two of the women, identified in court documents only as Jane D.B. Doe and Jane D.I. Doe, spoke publicly about their experiences. Jane D.B. Doe, a former law enforcement officer and Medicare investigator, said she didn’t report the abuse at the time. “I was afraid to,” she said. “I felt it was my fault. I felt guilty.”
She also warned other parents: “Because it starts slowly. You’re groomed to make you feel comfortable. A lot of parents are not aware of this.”
Jane D.I. Doe said she was relieved the case is over but still struggles. “I’m glad it’s over but it hasn’t brought closure,” she said.
Remarkably, the two women didn’t know they had both been victimized until 2020, when a television commercial about Boy Scouts of America abuse prompted them to open up to each other. “I said, ‘Yes.’ I started crying,” Jane D.B. Doe recalled. “Chuck Drylie. Me too,” Jane D.I. Doe responded.
One of the other women, a former police officer who asked not to be identified, described a culture of silence within the department. “It was a good old boys club and officers protected each other,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “We as the victims never wanted to talk about it. I never knew one of my best friends was a victim too until years later.”
The settlement costs will be shared by the city and its insurance provider. In a statement, the city said it “takes these allegations seriously, while placing the highest value on the safety and well-being of our community members,” adding that it “remains firmly committed to ensuring safe and supportive environments for all participants in all city programs.”
DeMarco, who previously secured a $4 million settlement for three victims in a similar Irwindale Police Explorer program case in 2018, said two additional lawsuits involving the Whittier Police Explorer program are still pending. The city confirmed it is currently working to resolve claims filed by six former Explorers in total.
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