The University of California agreed yesterday to pay $1 million in a preliminary settlement with 21 plaintiffs who sued the 10-campus system after they were pepper-sprayed at an Occupy protest on the Davis campus last November, according to a statement released by the UC.
Of the $1 million, the UC will pay $30,000 to each plaintiff as well as a total of $250,000 to their attorneys, according to the statement. The settlement still requires approval by judge John Mendez.
If approved, the UC system will also allocate $100,000 to pay other individuals wishing to join the class action and prove they were arrested or pepper-sprayed. Those individuals will be paid up to $20,000 each.
The November protest garnered national outrage after videos showing police spraying orange pepper spray into the faces of protestors went viral.
Funds to pay the plaintiffs will come from the university’s General Liability Risk Program, which is a self-insurance fund, according to the statement.
If the judge approves the settlement, it will take 75 days for a final approval hearing and then 30 days will be left for an appeal to be filed.