Bossier Parish jury awards $1.1B in child sexual abuse case; largest in state history

BENTON, La. — A Bossier Parish jury last week awarded $1.1 billion in a sexual abuse civil suit, the largest civil jury verdict in Louisiana judicial history, according to attorney Ryan Gatti. 

 

Pamela Lockridge, 68, who grew up in Bossier City, filed the lawsuit against her now-deceased stepfather, Leroy Edwards, after more than a decade of sexual abuse while she was a child. 

 

"For most of my life, I carried this abuse in silence,” said Lockridge after the verdict. “What happened to me as a child affected every stage of my life. It affected my relationships, my sense of safety, my ability to trust, and my family.” 

 

The abuse began in 1962 when Lockridge was four years old and continued until 1976. Edwards was never charged criminally in connection with the abuse. He died in 2023.

 

The jury viewed portions of his preserved deposition testimony. More than 60 years had passed from the beginning of the abuse to the time the jury reached its verdict. 

 

The lawsuit was filed because of Louisiana's Child Sexual Abuse Look Back Law. It temporarily opened a window, allowing survivors of childhood sexual abuse to pursue civil claims that otherwise may have been barred by a statute of limitation.

 

The legislation permits survivors to present their claims to a jury and have those claims decided on the evidence, regardless of how much time has passed since the abuse occurred, Gatti said.

 

In addition to being the largest personal injury verdict involving an individual plaintiff in state court history, the case was also the largest punitive damages award ever returned for an individual plaintiff and the largest sexual abuse verdict in Louisiana history, according to Gatti.

 

"This case is about the next child, the next family, and the next predator,” said Gatti who represented Lockridge. “Criminal accountability does not always occur. Civil justice remains an important means of accountability and deterrence. The jury's verdict sends a message that children matter and that those who exploit them can be held responsible, even decades later.”

 

The jury deliberated for just two hours before reaching their verdict. The jury awarded:

• $500 million for pain and suffering;

• $585 million for past and future medical and psychological expenses; and

• $600 million in exemplary damages.

 

The $600 million exemplary damages award is believed to be among the largest exemplary damages awards ever returned by a Louisiana jury for a case involving damages to one person, Gatti said.

 

Lockridge thanked the jury, saying the case was never about money. 

 

“They gave me something I never thought I would receive — a chance to tell the truth and have it believed,” Lockridge said. “I hope this verdict encourages other survivors to know that they are not alone, that what happened to them matters, and that their voices still have value no matter how many years have passed. For the first time in a very long time, I feel that justice has finally spoken."

 

This verdict demonstrates why the Louisiana Legislature enacted the Look Back Law, said Gatti. The law opened a window for survivors of sex abuse to bring civil actions against their abusers. But Gatti warned that the law’s window is closing soon, June 14, 2027. 

 

“We encourage those who have experienced sexual abuse to discuss with a trusted counselor, attorney, pastor, or support professional, whether this law may help provide closure and accountability,” Gatti said. 

 

The jury's verdict reflects an understanding of two realities frequently seen in child sexual abuse cases, Gatti said. First, that silence is often part of the injury and not evidence that abuse did not occur; and second, that many survivors do not come forward until years or decades later because of shame, fear, trauma, or psychological barriers created by the abuse itself.

 

During the two-day jury trial, the jury heard testimony from Det. Debra McKay, counselor Leesa Sitter, M.Ed., psychiatrist Dr. Patrick Hayes, M.D., and Lockridge’s husband of 43 years regarding the long-term psychological, emotional, and physical effects of childhood sexual abuse.

 

Lockridge's legal team included Gatti, Susan Gatti, Stephen Cox, Stefanie Phillips, Nikolas Roudkovski, Josee Gatti, Emily Merckle and numerous family members and supporters who assisted throughout the litigation.