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The settlement comes after criminal charges were dropped. “It’s exceptionally difficult for people who are abused as young children to be able to go through a public proceeding about it,” her lawyer said.
After prosecutors dropped criminal charges, the Town of Brookline agreed to pay $3 million to a former public school student who was allegedly sexually abused by former middle school teacher Larry Chen.
After months of discussions, the town and the Public Schools of Brookline reached an agreement with the woman and her lawyer, agreeing to pay an initial $1.5 million and then five annual installments of $300,000 beginning the following year, according to Joe Callanan, Brookline’s town counsel.
Carmen Durso, the woman’s lawyer, confirmed the settlement amount, which was first reported by Brookline.News.
“She’s trying to put her life back together again. She’s a very smart young woman, and I think she’ll be able to do it,” Durso said.
Chen, then in his early 30s, was accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old student multiple times over the course of two years during his time at the Heath School, since renamed to the Roland Hayes School. He was initially charged in 2022 with 18 counts of aggravated statutory rape, 18 counts of rape of a child under 16, and 18 counts of indecent assault and battery on a person under 14.
In September, prosecutors dropped the charges, citing the alleged victim’s unwillingness to testify. The student, now an adult, maintained that the allegations were true, according to prosecutors.
“My client was a very young child when this matter occurred, and it’s exceptionally difficult for people who are abused as young children to be able to go through a public proceeding about it,” said Durso, who represents sexual assault victims.
During his time as a teacher, Chen was popular but controversial. The former middle school teacher was placed on leave in 2015 for cursing in front of students, but he was reinstated to his position following an outcry from students and parents. In 2018, his job was threatened after he allowed students to play the video game Halo 3 in school, leading to another public outcry. Chen defended his decision but resigned later that year.
Prosecutors alleged that the school’s principal also told authorities there was an “ongoing issue” with Chen having inappropriate boundaries with students, and that administrators often had to remind Chen to keep his classroom door open when meeting with students after school, Boston.com previously reported. Another teacher said Chen had barricaded his door after he asked if she could hear what was going on in his classroom, prosecutors alleged in a court filing.
The sexual abuse allegations came to light in 2022, “when she got to an age that she could start to talk about it,” Durso said. The $3 million settlement is a financial incentive for the school district to protect students, Durso said, but declined to comment on specifics regarding Brookline administration.
“It seems like a lot of money and this and that, but the simple fact is that that’s the kind of thing that changes behaviors,” Durso said. “You can’t change the behaviors of the perpetrators. They’re going to do what they do, but you’ve got to change the behavior of the people whose duty it is to protect the children and then don’t do it.”
The $3 million settlement, separately discussed and approved by the Select Board, School Committee, and Advisory Committee this fall, would be paid from the town’s Liability Insurance Fund, Callanan said. The settlement also includes no admission of liability and other provisions.
Chen’s lawyer did not return a request for comment Sunday evening.
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