Two Orange County school districts have agreed to a $4.8 million settlement in a lawsuit alleging that a former water polo coach abused six female players.
He was hired by the Irvine Unified High School District three times as a walk-on coach, then by the Anaheim Union High School District, where he worked briefly until his arrest.
Mr. Hojreh was also running the International Water Polo Club in Los Alamitos at the time of his arrest.
Last January, he was sentenced to 18 years and four months in prison.
Regarding the settlement Irvine Unified will pay a total of $2.5 million to two women, and Anaheim Union, $2.3 million for four women, according to attorneys representing the victims.
In 2021, a dozen of Mr. Hojreh’s former players also reached a $13.85 million settlement with USA Water Polo and International Water Polo over the man’s abuse.
In a statement on the most recent settlements, Morgan Stewart, an attorney representing the victims called Mr. Hojreh a “monster” who was allowed “free reign over vulnerable young girls for many years.”
“Complaints by parents and female players themselves were ignored,” Mr. Stewart said. “Hojreh’s bizarre and threatening behavior towards these girls was ignored. The neglect by these school districts resulted in young women, minors at the time, being victimized by a predator.”
