The Brent Kuykendall lawsuit is a civil case filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court by a minor plaintiff identified as V.L., who alleges sexual abuse, sexual assault, and distribution of child pornography against the former Peninsula High School principal, several other district employees, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District. After an initial version of the case was dismissed without prejudice and refiled in September 2024, the matter remains active and is scheduled for a jury trial on September 23, 2026.1UniCourt. V. L. vs. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, et al.
Who Brent Kuykendall Is
Kuykendall became principal of Peninsula High School for the 2017–2018 school year and served in that role for eight years.2The Pen Newspaper. Peninsula’s New Principal Before that he spent roughly two decades in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, moving from classroom teacher to assistant principal at Miraleste Intermediate, associate principal at Palos Verdes High School, principal of Ridgecrest Intermediate, and principal of Miraleste Intermediate.3Peninsula Panorama. Brent Kuykendall First Year as Principal
He resigned as Peninsula High’s principal at the end of the 2024 school year. The school newspaper described the departure as having “shocked many,” and no public reason was given. The school’s reporting did not connect his resignation to any lawsuit.2The Pen Newspaper. Peninsula’s New Principal
What the Lawsuit Alleges
On April 17, 2024, V.L. filed suit in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Torrance Courthouse, under case number 24TRCV01325. The complaint named the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, Brent Kuykendall, Katie Clovis, Regina Corwin, and David Rozas as defendants and was classified as an intentional torts action.4Trellis Law. V. L. vs. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District Court records describe the underlying allegations as sexual abuse, sexual assault, and distribution of child pornography.1UniCourt. V. L. vs. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, et al.
Two of the co-defendants have publicly identifiable roles at the school. Katie Clovis is listed in district records as an associate principal at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and holds the title of Principal Associate, Secondary.5PVPUSD. School Site Council Regina Corwin, listed on the school’s staff page as Regina Kloes-Corwin, is also an associate principal, overseeing discipline, athletics, and facilities.6PVPUSD. PVPHS Staff No publicly available information identifies David Rozas’s role within the district.
Kuykendall was served on July 1, 2024, through substitute service on his wife at his home address, with a copy mailed under California’s Code of Civil Procedure. Corwin was served the next day through substitute service on her husband. No procedural challenges to the service appear in the available court records.7PACER Monitor. V. L. v. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District et al.
Removal to Federal Court and Dismissal
On August 20, 2024, defendant Katie Clovis removed the case to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, where it was assigned case number 2:24-cv-07040 and classified as a civil rights matter under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It was assigned to Judge Stephen V. Wilson, while state-court Judge Gary Y. Tanaka stayed the parallel matter upon learning of the removal.8Law360. V. L. v. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District et al.
The defendants filed a motion to dismiss several causes of action on August 27, 2024, with a hearing set for late September. Before that hearing, V.L. voluntarily dismissed the federal case without prejudice on September 6, 2024.7PACER Monitor. V. L. v. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District et al. Back in state court, V.L. requested dismissal of the entire action without prejudice on September 20, 2024, which the court entered.4Trellis Law. V. L. vs. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District A dismissal without prejudice preserves the plaintiff’s right to refile.
The Refiled Case
V.L. refiled. A new lawsuit was filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on September 10, 2024, captioned V.L. vs. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, et al., and assigned to Judge Robert B. Broadbelt. The allegations are the same as in the original filing: sexual abuse, sexual assault, and distribution of child pornography.1UniCourt. V. L. vs. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, et al.
On October 3, 2024, Judge Broadbelt granted the plaintiff’s request to proceed under a pseudonym, allowing both the minor plaintiff (V.L.) and her guardian ad litem (R.L.) to remain anonymous given the sensitive nature of the claims.1UniCourt. V. L. vs. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, et al.
Where the Case Stands Now
The refiled case is active. As of spring 2026, the parties are engaged in discovery disputes, with multiple hearings scheduled in June 2026 on the plaintiff’s motions to compel further responses to interrogatories and requests for production. In late March 2026, the parties filed a joint ex parte application and stipulation to shorten time on a motion to compel, which the court granted, rescheduling discovery-related hearings.1UniCourt. V. L. vs. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, et al.
A jury trial is scheduled for September 23, 2026, with a final status conference on September 11, 2026. No settlement or dispositive ruling has been reported in the most recent court filings.1UniCourt. V. L. vs. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, et al.