Judge rejects $19M settlement between Weinstein and accusers

A Manhattan judge on Tuesday rejected a proposed settlement between convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein and several of his accusers, saying the plaintiffs were improperly grouped.

In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said the plaintiffs were too varied for the proposed $19 million settlement to proceed, The Associated Press reported.

Lawyers for six women who have accused the disgraced movie mogul and opposed the settlement praised the ruling. Three of the women have pending cases against the Weinstein Company, while two signed settlement agreements and nondisclosure agreements but have since come forward, while the sixth testified in Weinstein’s criminal trial but has not filed a civil claim.

“We have been saying for over a year and a half that the settlement terms and conditions were unfair and should never be imposed on sexual assault survivors.  We were surprised that class counsel and the New York Attorney General did not recognize this fact but are pleased that Judge Hellerstein swiftly rejected the one-sided proposal,” Douglas H. Wigdor, Kevin Mintzer and Bryan Arbeit said in a statement.

“On behalf of our clients, we look forward to pursuing justice against Harvey Weinstein and his many enablers,” they added.

The six women said in a Monday court filing that the settlement would only give accusers $10,000 to $20,000 and would “absolve” Weinstein, his brother Bob and the former directors of the Weinstein Company. If approved, they said it would represent “one of the most one-sided and unfair class settlements in history.”

The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), who announced the proposed settlement in June, said it is currently reviewing Hellerstein’s decision.

“Our office has been fighting tirelessly to provide these brave women with the justice they are owed and will continue to do so,” spokesperson Morgan Rubin said in a written statement, according to the AP.

Weinstein was convicted in February of sexual assault in the first degree and rape in the third degree and sentenced to 23 years in prison. Separate criminal charges against him in Los Angeles are still pending.