NEW YORK — As part of a class-action lawsuit, New York Attorney General Letitia James helped secure roughly $19 million for women who experienced sexual misconduct and workplace harassment by convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein.
If the payments are approved by the bankruptcy and district courts, they will resolve the Office of the Attorney General's lawsuit, which was filed back in February of 2018.
According to the Office of the Attorney General, the payments are part of an agreement, which resolves the attorney general's lawsuit and the putative class action lawsuit. It is also part of a larger global agreement that proposed the liquidation of the Weinstein Company and its parent holding company the Weinstein Company Holdings LLC under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code.
This agreement creates an $18,875,000 victims' compensation fund for women who experienced a hostile work environment, sexual harassment, and/or gender-based discrimination while working at the Weinstein Company. Any woman who was sexually abused by Harvey Weinstein is also entitled to obtain restitution.
“Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company failed their female employees. After all the harassment, threats, and discrimination, these survivors are finally receiving some justice,” said Attorney General James. “For more than two years, my office has fought tirelessly in the pursuit of justice for the women whose lives were upended by Harvey Weinstein. This agreement is a win for every woman who has experienced sexual harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or retaliation by her employer. I thank the brave women who came forward to share their stories with my office. I will forever carry their stories in my heart and never stop fighting for the right of every single person to be able to work harassment-free.”
As part of the agreement, the Office of the Attorney General also announced that any woman who had previously signed confidentiality, non-disclosure, or non-disparagement agreements with the Weinstein Company related to sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein will be released from those clauses. The Office of the Attorney General says those women will be free to tell their stories without fear of retribution.
