Context:

A woman has filed a lawsuit against former Los Angeles Lakers player and coach Byron Scott, accusing him of sexually assaulting her when she was 15 during a team event in 1987. The lawsuit, initially filed in December 2022 and amended in May 2023, accuses Scott of sexual battery and false imprisonment, and it was the amendment that publicly named him. Scott's lawyer acknowledged that sexual contact occurred but claimed Scott believed the girl was of legal age. The lawsuit, aided by a temporary California law allowing older cases to be filed, also accuses Campbell Hall High of negligence for not protecting the girl. It seeks a jury trial and over $25,000 in damages from Scott and the school, with Scott's attorney stating the allegations have blindsided him and his family.

Dive Deeper:

• A woman has accused Byron Scott of sexually assaulting her at Campbell Hall High during a Lakers team event in 1987, when she was 15 and he was 26, leading to a lawsuit for sexual battery and false imprisonment.

• The lawsuit, first filed in December 2022 and later amended to name Scott, stems from a temporary California law permitting older cases to be brought forward for underage plaintiffs, requiring anonymity until certain legal thresholds were met.

• Scott's lawyer confirmed that there was sexual contact but asserted that Scott believed the girl was over 18 and was shocked by the allegations that surfaced 35 years later.

• The lawsuit also implicates Campbell Hall High, accusing them of negligence for failing to protect the girl, and demands a jury trial and over $25,000 in damages, including loss of earnings and attorney fees.

• Byron Scott, who was part of the Lakers' championship-winning 'Showtime' era and later coached the team, is currently married to Cece Gutierrez and coaching in the Philippines.

• A judge had ruled previously that Scott could be identified in the case, which had initially been filed with him as 'John Doe' before the amendment publicly named him.

• Scott was married to his first wife, Anita Scott, at the time of the alleged incident, and they had three children before divorcing in 2014.