Just got this from New York Attorney General Letitia James:
New York Attorney General Letitia James, as part of a class action lawsuit, has helped to secure approximately $19 million for women who experienced sexual misconduct and workplace harassment by convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein. The payments, if approved by the bankruptcy and district courts, resolve the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) February 2018 lawsuit against The Weinstein Company LLC, Harvey Weinstein, and Robert Weinstein, for maintaining a hostile work environment at the company, as well as a separately-filed putative class action lawsuit brought on behalf of women who were sexually harassed and assaulted by Harvey Weinstein.
The payments are part of an agreement that resolves the OAG’s lawsuit and the putative class action lawsuit, and is part of a larger global agreement proposed in the plan for liquidation under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code for The Weinstein Company and its parent holding company, The Weinstein Company Holdings LLC (together TWC).
The agreement ensures that women who experienced a hostile work environment, sexual harassment, and gender-based discrimination while working at The Weinstein Company, as well as sexual abuse by Harvey Weinstein, are entitled to obtain restitution, by creating a $18,875,000 victims’ compensation fund.
“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 OAG has also ensured that women who had previously signed confidentiality, non-disclosure, or non-disparagement agreements with TWC or any of the former representatives of the company related to any sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein, will be released from those clauses and free to tell their stories without fear of retribution.
The agreement must be approved by the district court that is presiding over the putative class action, as well as the bankruptcy court that is presiding over TWC’s petition for relief and proposed plan under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code. Upon approval, the court will provide information to women about how to participate in a confidential claims process.
Today’s agreement is the culmination of more than two years of investigation and litigation by the OAG. The investigation included interviews with numerous company employees, executives, and survivors of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual misconduct. The investigation also included an exhaustive review of hundreds of thousands of company records and emails.
