The nationally recognized law firm of Baron & Budd P.C. alongside Diab Chambers LLP filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Pasadena Unified School District (or, “District”) against Southern California Edison seeking compensation for damages to District property and resources as a result of the January 7, 2025, Eaton Fire.

The Eaton Fire burned more than 14,000 acres, destroyed approximately 9,400 structures, damaged over 1,000 structures, claimed 17 lives, and affected thousands of students, teachers and families served by the Pasadena Unified School District.

The Eaton Fire destroyed critical District resources, schools, and educational facilities, including but not limited to:

• Franklin Elementary School
• Eliot Arts Magnet Middle School
• The Edison campus which housed Odyssey Charter School
• The Loma Alta campus which housed Pasadena Rosebud Academy and Oak Knoll Montessori School, and,
• The Noyes campus which housed Aveson School of Leaders, among other District property and resources.

“The lawsuit seeks to hold Southern California Edison responsible for this devastating fire and recover the critical District property and taxpayer resources that the fire destroyed,” said Torri Sherlin, a shareholder at Baron & Budd P.C., outside counsel representing the District in the lawsuit. “The recovery of the schools and the educational programs impacted by the Eaton Fire is a critical step towards the rebuilding and recovery of the communities the District serves,” Sherlin continued.

The lawsuit follows Southern California Edison's February 6 disclosure to the California Public Utilities Commission admitting that a "fault was detected" on its Eagle Rock-Gould transmission circuit coinciding with the fire's ignition time and location. Video and photographic evidence show flames igniting near the base of Southern California Edison’s transmission towers in Eaton Canyon moments after electrical anomalies were recorded. The lawsuit describes how weather forecasts in the days preceding the fire had repeatedly warned of extreme fire danger, with the National Weather Service issuing progressively stronger advisories culminating in a Red Flag Warning on the morning of January 7 when winds reached dangerous levels. Despite these repeated warnings, Southern California Edison failed to deenergize its equipment.

“The District remains committed to providing exceptional education programs to its students and the community it serves,” said Ed Diab, a founding partner of Diab Chambers LLP, who is also representing the District in this matter. “This lawsuit seeks to recover the District’s losses from the responsible party, to further its commitment and to provide stability in education to the students that were impacted by this devastating fire.”

Pasadena Unified School District is represented by outside counsel John Fiske, Torri Sherlin, and Taylor O'Neal of Baron & Budd P.C., and Ed Diab, Rob Chambers, and Kristen Barton of Diab Chambers LLP, the same legal team supporting Los Angeles County, the City of Pasadena, and the City of Sierra Madre in the related litigation.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

With more than 40 years of experience, Baron & Budd has the expertise and resources to handle complex litigation throughout the United States. As a law firm that takes pride in remaining at the forefront of litigation, Baron & Budd has spearheaded many significant cases for hundreds of public entities and tens of thousands of individuals. Since the firm was founded in 1977, Baron & Budd has achieved substantial national acclaim for its work on cutting-edge litigation, trying hundreds of cases to verdict and settling tens of thousands of cases in areas of litigation as diverse and significant as dangerous and highly addictive pharmaceuticals, defective medical devices, asbestos and mesothelioma, wildfires, environmental contamination, fraudulent banking practices, e-cigarettes, motor vehicles, federal whistleblower cases, and other consumer fraud issues.

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