Women who were secretly videotaped by a prominent Orthodox rabbi as they used a Jewish ritual bath in Washington, D.C., have reached a $14.25 million settlement with four Jewish organizations, their lawyer confirmed Wednesday.
Rabbi Bernard Freundel, 66, led the Kesher Israel synagogue in the upscale Georgetown neighborhood for 25 years before he was arrested in 2014 after a recording device was discovered in the National Capital Mikvah.
Prosecutors found he had filmed some 150 women there using hidden cameras.
In 2015, Freundel pleaded guilty to 52 counts of voyeurism and was sentenced to six years in prison.
He has expressed remorse and called his actions "reprehensible."
The settlement stipulates that each of the victims will receive at least $25,000. Women who were not videotaped but used the ritual bath before Freundel's arrest will receive $2,500 each.
All the women can also apply for additional payments based on the harm they suffered.
The class-action lawsuit had initially sought $100 million in damages, but the four organizations' insurance policies provided far less coverage for the claims, said the plaintiffs' lawyer, Alexandra Harwin.
But she said the settlement "provides prompt and substantial payments to the women victimized by Freundel, while maintaining their confidentiality and avoiding an overly burdensome process."
