A New York jury awarded $1.68 billion on Wednesday to 40 women who accused filmmaker James Toback of sexual abuse over a 35-year period, according to attorneys representing the plaintiffs. This verdict represents one of the largest damage awards related to sexual harassment and abuse claims since the emergence of the #MeToo movement.
The case stems from a lawsuit filed in Manhattan in 2022, which was made possible by New York state’s temporary measure allowing sexual assault victims to bring forth claims regardless of when the incidents occurred. Attorney Brad Beckworth of Nix Patterson LLP highlighted the significance of the ruling, stating it serves as a powerful message to influential figures who fail to respect women.
As of Wednesday evening, the court had not released detailed documentation of the verdict. Preliminary reports indicate that the damages include $280 million in compensatory awards and $1.4 billion in punitive damages. Beckworth emphasized that the decision is rooted in justice and symbolizes a shift of power back to victims who have long been silenced.
The allegations against Toback, who garnered an Academy Award nomination for his 1991 screenplay “Bugsy,” date back to between 1979 and 2014. Initially brought to light in 2017 as the #MeToo movement gained momentum, the accusations were first published by the Los Angeles Times. In 2018, however, prosecutors in Los Angeles declined to pursue criminal charges, citing expiration of the statute of limitations in several cases.
The civil lawsuit was initiated shortly after the enactment of New York’s Adult Survivors Act. Legal representatives for the plaintiffs uncovered a troubling pattern in which Toback would allegedly entice women on New York’s streets with false promises of film roles and then manipulate them into unwanted sexual encounters through coercive tactics.
Mary Monahan, one of the lead plaintiffs, characterized the jury’s decision as a form of validation. She expressed, “For decades, I carried this trauma in silence, and today, a jury believed me. That changes everything.” Monahan explained that the verdict signifies that the women involved are not expendable or deceptive, asserting their reality in the face of past abuse.
Toback, now 80, has repeatedly denied the allegations, claiming that any interactions were consensual. He has also argued that the New York law extending the statute of limitations on sexual abuse infringes on his constitutional rights. A request for comment sent to his listed email address went unanswered.
In January, the judge ruled against Toback when he failed to appear in court, resulting in a default judgment. Following this decision, a trial was held solely to determine the amount of damages owed to the women.
The verdict has potential implications for ongoing discussions surrounding sexual misconduct within the film industry and beyond, reflecting the ongoing evolution of societal attitudes toward such issues.
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