Legal Victory and Public Response
A court has ordered Stuart Copperman to pay $1.6 billion to over 100 former patients, marking one of the largest cumulative awards against a single individual in the for sexual abuse.
The Rev. Debbi Rhodes, awarded $25 million, expressed a mix of relief and frustration, emphasizing the importance of the court's acknowledgment of the abuse, despite Copperman's denial of the allegations.
Background and Legal Journey
Complaints against Copperman began in the 1980s, but no criminal charges were filed until the passage of New York’s Child Victims Act in 2019, which allowed lawsuits for past sexual abuse.
The court's decision was based on Copperman's failure to respond to the litigation, with some referees explicitly stating their belief in the women's accounts of abuse.