A lawsuit was filed Monday in New York City claiming that James Toback, a Hollywood writer-director, is a serial sexual predator who targeted and abused many women over the decades while often stating his desire to cast them in his movies.
The suit was filed in Manhattan’s New York Supreme Court. It lists 38 plaintiffs. Many are identified as Jane Doe. Fiveteen of the plaintiffs are identified by their names.
The suit also names the Harvard Club of New York City as a defendant. This is where Toback is alleged to have “lured” several women.
The Daily Beast reported the suit.
Toback, 78 was an Oscar-nominated screenwriter/director whose films credits include “The Pick-Up Artist”, “Bugsy”, and “Tyson.” In a Los Angeles Times report from five years ago , more than 30 women were accused of sexual misconduct.
This story was published weeks after Harvey Weinstein’s New York Times report triggered the MeToo movement.
Los Angeles Prosecutors declined to file charges against five of the cases. They claimed that in 2018, the statute of limitations had expired for all five, according the Associated Press.
Monday’s call was unsuccessful for a lawyer who represented Toback in the past. The writer-director was not reachable Monday. It wasn’t clear if Toback has a representative or lawyer to assist him.
Toback previously denied the allegations. told Rolling Stone in 2017 that Toback believed the claims.
Monday’s lawsuit was filed by lawyers alleging that Toback used a “Modus Operandi”, which he allegedly had. This included approaching young women in New York City, and lavishing compliments on them while boasting about his Hollywood credentials.
According to the suit, Toback would pitch the women about appearing in a film and set up a meeting with them to discuss the role.
Six women claimed that their meetings took place at the Harvard Club New York City. This private venue is for alumni and faculty. He allegedly sexually assaulted and abused the women in the “dining room”, hallways, staircases, bathrooms, and hotel rooms.
According to the suit, Toback graduated from the school on June 26, 1966. The club representative did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
According to the suit, Toback was expelled from the club in 2017.
Toback is alleged to have stopped women from fleeing or chased them away when they fled, before sexually assaulting them in some instances. Toback is alleged to have masturbated on or in front of women and then penetrated their bodies without their consent in several cases.
The suit claims that Toback threatened the women by threatening them with violence and saying he would ruin the careers of their career if they revealed the assaults. He also said he knew people who could hurt people and had connections to organized crime groups.
The suit, which is 89 pages long, alleges assault, battery and false imprisonment. It also includes intentional infliction or emotional distress and negligence. The suit doesn’t specify damages.
