The 46 college athletes who were secretly videotaped in locker rooms in 1995, including some from MSU, will receive a $506 million settlement, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
One of the athletes who is affiliated with MSU and captured on the tapes awaits to hear from his lawyers if he will receive a share of the settlement money. He spoke to The State News on a condition of anonymity.
When the lawsuit broke in 1999 the athlete viewed the tapes, which were sold on Internet sites advertising "hot younger dudes."
"I've seen the tapes in full," he said. "I'm one of the victims."
Among the schools involved were MSU, Northwestern University, University of Illinois, Illinois State University, Eastern Illinois University, Indiana University, University of Pennsylvania and Iowa State University.
The judge ordered eight companies and three people to pay the athletes who were secretly videotaped in locker rooms, rest rooms and showers on several campuses in 1995.
The tapes, with names such as "Straight Off the Mat" and "Voyeur Time," first came to light in 1999, when the Chicago Tribune reported that hidden-camera videotapes, including footage taken during a 1995 wrestling tournament at Northwestern University, were being marketed online and by mail.
A wrestler at the match noticed a towel-covered camera case in the locker room and a camera was discovered inside. The wrestler was not a part of the MSU wrestling team.
The athlete linked to MSU said he doesn't know if he's one of the plaintiffs listed on the case. The anonymous plaintiffs are listed as "28 John Does" and unidentified Illinois State football players.
The source also said he hasn't heard about the case in a long time and found out about the ruling through news reports. He expects to hear from his lawyer today.
The plaintiffs could each receive compensatory and punitive damages amounting to $11 million, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Spartan head wrestling coach Tom Minkel said the wrestling team competed in the 1995 Midlands Wrestling Championships at Northwestern, but he doesn't think any of his former players were taped.
"We knew about it at the time the case came out," Minkel said. "It was nobody on my squad. We're just glad in general that the case has come to a resolution."
The athletes had sued over the footage. After the defendants failed to show up in court - since at least 2000 - a federal judge granted the student athletes a default judgment.
"We look at this judgment as the court system sending a signal to the sexual predators that they're not going to get away with this," said attorney Cindy Fluxgold, who represents several of the athletes.
Fluxgold said Wednesday the 46 athletes represent a fraction of the hundreds of men caught on tape, many of whom have not been identified.
U.S. District Judge Charles P. Kocoras' Nov. 25 decision grants each of 46 athletes $1 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages. The judge also granted nearly $46,000 for court costs and attorneys' fees.
Kocoras also ordered the defendants to surrender the videotapes and get out of the business of making and selling them.
One of the athletes, who spoke at a news conference Wednesday from behind a screen, said he hoped the people responsible for peddling the tapes would be prosecuted.
"It's extremely violating," said the 30-year-old health care worker, whose name was not released. "It's kind of like a lifelong illness."
Kocoras' judgment was entered against Franco Production, Franko Productions, Rodco, Hidvidco, Hidvidco-Atlas Video Release, AMO Video, Atlas Video, Gamport/Earthlink, and individuals Daniel Franco, George Jachem and R.D. Couture. No telephone numbers for the defendants' attorneys could immediately be found by The Associated Press.
Staff writer Krista Latham and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
