In the past three decades, there have been hundreds of verdicts and settlements in favor of victims who have suffered sexual abuse or sexual assaults. Here are some of the more notable ones.
Alkiviades David — $900 million
A Los Angeles jury awarded Jane Doe (a pseudonym that allows the plaintiff to remain anonymous) was awarded $900 million against Alkiviades David, a prominent figure known for his lavish lifestyle and business ventures. The plaintiff, a former employee, alleged years of sexual harassment and assault, including unwanted touching, coercion, and threats.
Texas Assault Case — $325 million
A Bexar County jury awarded $325 million in a sexual assault case. The case involved a successful businessman who repeatedly sexually assaulted his grandchild, who not only suffered physical consequences, but also contracted an incurable sexually transmitted disease. The verdict included $125 million in pain and suffering and $200 million in punitive damages. The businessman was also convicted criminally and sentenced to prison.
Larry Nassar / Michigan State University — $500 million
Former sports doctor Larry Nassar was the team physician for the U.S. women’s national gymnastics team and Michigan State University (“MSU”). His victims included Olympic gold medalists and other elite athletes, as well as young girls who sought medical treatment. In criminal court, Nassar was convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault and sentenced to decades in prison. MSU agreed to pay a total of $500 million, with $425 million allocated to the survivors and $75 million reserved for future claimants.
Jerry Sandusky / Penn State University — $109 million
Jerry Sandusky was an assistant football coach for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team. Sandusky engaged in various forms of sexual abuse with the players, including showering with them and touching them inappropriately. Sandusky’s actions were enabled by a culture of silence and a failure to report his misconduct within Penn State. Several university officials, including head coach Joe Paterno, were aware of allegations against Sandusky but failed to take appropriate action. Penn State agreed to a $109 million settlement with 35 of the survivors.
Boy Scouts of America — $850 million
Thousands of young boys were sexually abused, often during camping trips, by scout leaders. At many of the trials, the plaintiffs point the “perversion files” maintain by the Boy Scouts of America (“BSA”) — there were internal documents that detailed allegations of sexual abuse against scout leaders but in most cases the BSA failed to take decisive action to prevent further harm. In 2021, the BSA reached an $850 million settlement with many of the survivors.
Harvey Weinstein — $111.875 million
Harvey Weinstein is a former American film producer who co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, a company produced several successful independent films, including Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love. Weinstein used his position of power to sexually harass, assault, and rape more than 80 women, which led to criminal convictions resulting in 39 years in prison. The allegations against Weinstein sparked the #MeToo movement. We are aware of four settlements: $44 million; $24 million; $25 million; and $18.875 million.
Dr. George Tyndall / University of Southern California — $852 million
Dr. George Tyndall, a former gynecologist at the University of Southern California (“USC:), was accused of sexually assaulting hundreds of female students over nearly three decades. The allegations against him first came to light in 2018 through an investigation by the Los Angeles Times. Tyndall was charged with 35 felony counts of sexual misconduct between 2009 and 2016. He denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty. He died before the criminal case came to trial. In response to the numerous lawsuits, USC agreed to an $852 million settlement with over 700 women.
Fox News Channel — $90 million
This scandal began in July 2016 when former anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a lawsuit against Roger Ailes, the then-chairman of Fox News, accusing him of sexual harassment. Following Carlson’s lawsuit, several other women, including prominent anchor Megyn Kelly, came forward with similar allegations against Ailes. In addition to Ailes, Bill O’Reilly, a top-rated Fox News host, faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment. It was revealed that O’Reilly and Fox News had settled several claims out of court, with settlements totaling millions of dollars. These allegations led to O’Reilly’s dismissal from the network in April 2017.
In November 2017, Twenty-First Century Fox reached a $90 million settlement to resolve shareholder claims related to this scandal. The settlement addressed derivative claims, which are lawsuits filed by shareholders on behalf of the company, alleging that the company’s officers and directors failed to prevent the misconduct.
Dartmouth Middle School — $102.5 million
In March 2022, a jury awarded $102 million to two women who were sexually abused by their music teacher, Samuel Neipp, while they were students at Dartmouth Middle School in San Jose, California. The plaintiffs, identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, alleged that Neipp began grooming and sexually assaulting them between 2009 and 2014.
The lawsuit accused the Union School District of ignoring multiple warnings about Neipp’s behavior and failing to take appropriate action to protect the students. Despite receiving complaints from parents and students, the district did not increase supervision or discipline Neipp, who continued to receive positive performance reviews and was even named Teacher of the Year. Neipp was arrested in 2017 and later pleaded no contest to multiple charges of sexual abuse, resulting in a 56-year prison sentence.
Moraga School District — $14 million
In June 2014, the Moraga School District agreed to a $14 million settlement with two women who alleged they were sexually abused by their science teacher, Daniel Witters, at Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School in the mid-1990s. The plaintiffs, identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, claimed they were abused more than 50 times each. The school district failed to take action despite being aware of Witters’ behavior. The district was accused of negligence, fraud, and covering up complaints to protect its reputation.
Eric Uller / Santa Monica PAL — $229.8 million
In April 2023, the City of Santa Monica reached a $229.8 million settlement to resolve all claims related to sexual abuse allegations against Eric Uller, a former city employee and volunteer with the Police Activities League (“PAL”). Uller was accused of sexually abusing young boys between the late 1980s and early 2000s while working with the PAL program. The allegations surfaced in 2018, leading to Uller’s arrest on multiple charges of child molestation. Uller committed suicide before his criminal trial could proceed.
The settlement addressed claims from 124 individuals who alleged they were abused by Uller. The city agreed to pay $122.5 million to these claimants, adding to the $107.3 million previously paid to 105 other individuals who had filed earlier claims. This brought the total settlement amount to $229.8 million.
If you’ve been the victim of sexual abuse or sexual assault, contact us immediately so we can match you up with the best law firm so that you can obtain a substantial settlement.