Whittier Pays $3.5M Settlement Over Explorer Program Abuse

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The City of Whittier has agreed to pay $3.5 million to four women who say a former police officer sexually abused and groomed them while they were teenagers in the department's Explorer program in the 1970s. The lawsuits allege the abuse took place during police ride-alongs and at the officer's home, and that other officers knew or should have known about the inappropriate conduct. The settlement is a civil resolution that compensates survivors, but does not result in a criminal conviction.

Why it matters

The allegations in Whittier land amid a broader national reckoning over police Explorer posts, with investigations documenting scores of historical abuse claims and showing that unsupervised one-on-one situations like ride-alongs can create opportunities for misconduct. This case highlights the need for stronger supervision and accountability in youth programs associated with law enforcement.

The details

According to the lawsuits, former Whittier Police Officer Charles Drylie began abusing one of the plaintiffs in 1976 when she was 15 years old, and the assaults continued for years, often during ride-alongs, inside squad cars, and at his home. The complaints also allege that other officers knew or should have known about the inappropriate conduct and that the department later reassigned Drylie to positions that still put him in contact with young people.

• The alleged abuse took place in the 1970s when the plaintiffs were teenagers participating in the Whittier Police Department's Explorer program.
• The lawsuits were filed in 2020 after the women compared stories and realized their experiences were strikingly similar.
• The $3.5 million settlement was reached in March 2026, shortly before trials were scheduled to begin.

What’s next

The settlement is a civil resolution that compensates survivors and closes this round of litigation, but it is not a criminal conviction. City officials and attorneys say the goal is accountability and creating space for other survivors who might still be weighing whether to come forward.