New York Jury Awards $1.68 Billion to 40 Women Who Accused Hollywood Director of Sexual Abuse

Sexual harassment claims against Oscar-nominated screenwriter James Toback surfaced during the 2017 #MeToo movement.

James Toback arrives at the 2014 AFI Fest premiere of "The Gambler," in Los Angeles on Nov. 10, 2014. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

A New York jury in the sexual assault trial of Hollywood director James Toback awarded nearly $1.7 billion in damages to 40 women who accused him of various sex crimes going back decades.

According to a statement issued by Nix Patterson, LLP, a Texas-based law firm that represented the plaintiffs, the jury awarded $280 million in compensatory damages and $1.4 billion in punitive damages on April 9 following a week-long trial.