NEW YORK — Thirty-eight women have filed a lawsuit in New York against writer-director James Toback, accusing him of sexual assault.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Supreme Court in Manhattan, comes after New York state last month instituted a one-year window for filing lawsuits alleging sexual assaults, even if they were committed decades ago, thereby easing the statute of limitations.
Accusations against Toback of alleged sexual abuse dating back decades surfaced in late 2017, first reported by The Los Angeles Times as the #MeToo movement was gaining momentum.
In 2018, Los Angeles prosecutors said they reviewed five cases, but the statute of limitations had expired and declined to file criminal charges against Toback.
No information was immediately available on Toback’s attorneys or representatives. The filmmaker has denied the accusations against him.
Fifteen of the women are listed under their names as plaintiffs in the New York case, while another 23 are suing confidentially under the generic name of Jane Doe; In addition to Toback, the Harvard Club of New York is one of the defendants, since some of the other women affirm that they were abused there.
The club was emailed for feedback.
Toback was nominated for an Oscar for writing 1991’s “Bugsy,” and his Hollywood career has spanned more than 40 years.