Knicks owner James Dolan has found himself connected to the barrage of sexual misconduct allegations in Hollywood, starting with the person who tip the domino in the first place. Dolan has been named in the lawsuit again former Hollywood power player, Harvey Weinstein according to ESPN.
Dolan, who is chairman of Madison Square Garden and also owns the New York Rangers, was a member of the Weinstein Company’s Board of Directors from mid 2015 to June 2016, according to the suit. Lasry was a member of the Weinstein Company’s Board of Directors from mid-2016 to October 2017, according to the suit, which was filed on Wednesday at Manhattan Federal Court.
The suit was filed by six women who allege that they were assaulted by Weinstein, who has been accused by dozens of women of sexual assault in recent months, according to media reports. The plaintiffs listed in the current suit are seeking a jury trial and a class action status.
“Defendants’ conduct has caused widespread damage, including personal injury, emotional distress, and damage to the careers of plaintiffs and the class, for which Defendants must be held responsible,” the suit says.
A spokesperson for Dolan told ESPN: “We just received the complaint and are currently reviewing. We will not have a comment until that is complete. We can state that Mr. Dolan is confident that he acted appropriately in all matters relating to his time on the Weinstein board.” A spokesperson for Lasry declined comment.
It is uncertain at the moment what level of culpability Dolan has in the case, but it should be noted that this isn’t the first time he has been held liable for punitive damages in a sexual harrassment lawsuit.
In 2007, Dolan and Madison Square Garden were tagged with $11.6 million in punitive damages when a former executive with the Knicks sued over sexual harassment.
Recent activity has shown that sexual harassment is extremely prevalent and has been long overlooked in the workplace.