NYC Strip Search Class Action Settlement: Who Is Eligible to Claim

The settlement covers people in New York City Department of Correction custody who were strip searched when they arrived at Manhattan Court Division after already being strip searched before leaving Rikers Island for court.

For people classified as Enhanced Security, the class period runs from March 28, 2020 through February 29, 2024. For everyone else, it runs from October 1, 2022 through February 29, 2024.

The class excludes people who previously settled claims arising from a covered strip search, the individual plaintiffs represented by Oddo and Babat who are identified in the settlement materials, and people whose claims are barred by a valid and enforceable release with the City.

Approved claimants divide the $28 million distribution amount. A claimant's share is based on the number of qualifying strip searches attributed to that person divided by the total qualifying searches for all approved claimants. The notice does not provide a guaranteed dollar amount because final payments depend on the approved claims.

The notice does not require supporting documents with a claim. It does require enough identifying information for the administrator to establish the claimant's identity, including any known correctional identification numbers and other requested personal information. Identifying information and a signed claim are not treated here as documentary proof.

Submit the official online claim form or mail the paper form using the prepaid envelope. A mailed claim must be postmarked no later than November 26, 2026. Use the claim instructions for the identifying information requested for your circumstances.

The Court is scheduled to consider final approval on January 29, 2027 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Payments can be distributed only after the settlement receives final approval and any appeals are resolved. The notice warns that appeals can take more than a year, so it does not promise a payment date.

You will not receive a payment. If the settlement becomes final, you will remain bound by it and give up the right to bring or continue a separate lawsuit against the released parties over the claims covered by this settlement.

Opting out removes you from the class. You will not receive a settlement payment, but you preserve any right to pursue the released claims separately. A signed exclusion request must be mailed and postmarked by November 26, 2026.

Objecting keeps you in the class and tells the Court why you oppose the settlement. A written objection must be filed with the Court and mailed to the required recipients by November 26, 2026, following the detailed requirements in notice question 19.

No. The hearing is scheduled for January 29, 2027 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time at the federal courthouse at 500 Pearl Street in New York City. Class members may attend at their own expense. A person who wants to speak must follow the objection instructions in notice question 19, and someone who opts out cannot speak at the hearing.