*Former Los Angeles Lakers star and coach Byron Scott is scheduled to face a civil jury Sept. 8 in Van Nuys (CA) over allegations that he sexually assaulted Hayley Dylan when she was a 15-year-old student in 1987.
The trial follows a major development: Campbell Hall, the Studio City private school where the alleged assault occurred, has reached a confidential settlement with Dylan.
The settlement amount remains under seal until Scott’s trial concludes, the Los Angeles Times reports. Dylan is seeking unspecified economic and non-economic damages from Scott.
What the Sept. 8 Trial Is About
Dylan alleges Scott sexually assaulted her in a janitor’s closet at Campbell Hall while several Lakers players were at the school filming an instructional basketball video.
Scott was 26, married and playing for the Lakers at the time. He acknowledges sexual contact occurred but disputes Dylan’s account of the circumstances.
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According to court filings cited by the Times, Scott says he did not know Dylan, whose surname was Mendell at the time, was a Campbell Hall student. He maintains that he believed she was 18 and a member of the video production crew.
Dylan alleges she was 15 and the encounter was nonconsensual.
Scott’s attorney, Linda Bauermeister, previously said her client was “devastated” by the complaint and believed Dylan was over 18.
Dylan Alleges Scott Ignored Her Protests
Dylan’s complaint says she and Scott walked away from faculty members and the production crew during the video shoot.
She alleges Scott escorted her into a janitor’s closet and began kissing her while she repeatedly asked, “what are you doing?” The complaint further alleges he ignored her protests and attempted to force her to perform a sex act.
Those claims remain allegations. Scott has not admitted to sexually assaulting Dylan, and his acknowledgment of sexual contact is not an admission that an assault occurred.
The lawsuit also accused Campbell Hall of failing to adequately supervise and protect Dylan on campus.
Campbell Hall Settles Before Trial
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lee S. Arian denied Campbell Hall’s motion for summary judgment in January.
“Plaintiff was the only student selected to remain after others left, yet no one checked on her whereabouts during lunch and no one looked for Scott and plaintiff while they were alone,” Arian wrote.
“The evidence reflects that plaintiff’s whereabouts were effectively ignored,” he added.
Campbell Hall subsequently settled Dylan’s claims, removing the school from the upcoming trial.
Scott’s attorney argues the school’s settlement payment should be deducted from any damages a jury might award Dylan against Scott. Dylan’s attorney, Kerry Garvis Wright, counters that Scott would only be entitled to an offset involving economic damages and says the school’s settlement covers non-economic damages.
Why a 1987 Case Is Being Tried in 2026
Dylan filed her lawsuit Dec. 30, 2022, nearly 35 years after the alleged encounter.
California’s Child Victims Act created a temporary three-year window allowing certain previously time-barred childhood sexual assault claims to be brought in civil court. The window ran from Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2022.
Dylan filed two days before it closed.
Her lawsuit states that she dealt privately with the alleged trauma for years, with only a small circle of people and mental health professionals knowing what she says occurred.
The lawsuit itself does not establish that Scott committed sexual assault. The competing accounts remain at the heart of the case.
Scott’s Lakers Legacy Meets a Serious Court Battle
Scott spent 11 of his 14 NBA seasons with the Lakers and won three championships with the franchise. He later coached five NBA teams, including the Lakers from 2014 to 2016.
Barring another resolution, Scott’s civil trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 8 in Van Nuys.
Campbell Hall’s settlement ends Dylan’s claims against the school, but not her allegations against Scott. A jury will be asked to weigh two sharply conflicting accounts of an encounter nearly four decades ago — one Dylan alleges was an assault and one Scott maintains involved someone he believed was an adult.
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