Columbia College and New York-Presbyterian Hospital have agreed to a $750 million settlement of a whole bunch of sexual abuse claims by sufferers of disgraced and imprisoned former gynecologist Robert Hadden, bringing complete authorized payouts in civil instances involving the ex-doctor to over $1 billion, in line with the plaintiffs’ lawyer.
Hadden, now 66, was accused of molesting sufferers throughout a decades-long profession at prestigious New York Metropolis hospitals together with Columbia College Irving Medical Middle and New York-Presbyterian. He was convicted by a jury in 2023 of federal intercourse crime prices and sentenced to 20 years in federal jail.
The brand new settlements, permitted by a Manhattan decide Monday, are available 576 authorized instances in opposition to the Ivy League college, the hospital and others over the abuse by Hadden, plaintiffs’ lawyer Anthony T. DiPietro stated.
“This victory is not just for the victims and survivors of Columbia University and The New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s cover-up who bravely came forward, but for all of us who entrust medical institutions with our health care,” DiPietro stated in assertion.
“For far too long, Columbia and New York-Presbyterian have prioritized protecting their reputations over protecting their patients,” he said. “This settlement sends a powerful message that we’re here to ensure that institutions covering up exploitation and abuse will be held fully accountable for their crimes.”
DiPietro stated the common payout to plaintiffs from the brand new settlement shall be about $1.3 million. Columbia beforehand agreed to $277 million in settlements with greater than 200 different plaintiffs over Hadden’s sexual abuse, he stated.
“As beforehand introduced, Columbia is implementing a multi-pronged plan, together with an exterior investigation, a survivors’ settlement fund, and a collection of recent and up to date affected person security insurance policies and applications to deal with the abuses of Robert Hadden,” the college stated in assertion responding to an Related Press message particularly asking concerning the $750 million deal.
“We deeply regret the pain that his patients suffered, and this settlement is another step forward in our ongoing work and commitment to repair harm and support survivors,” it stated. “We commend the survivors for his or her bravery in coming ahead.”
New York-Presbyterian referred questions concerning the settlement to Columbia, saying the varsity employed Hadden.
One of many plaintiffs within the lawsuits, Laurie Maldonado, who sued Columbia, New York-Presbyterian, Hadden and others, stated her case was not about cash.
Robert Hadden was discovered responsible of attractive victims to cross state strains to be able to sexually abuse them. 9 former sufferers testified throughout the two-week trial, describing the sexual abuse that occurred throughout medical exams.
“It’s about accountability,” she stated in a press release supplied by DiPietro. “Columbia College enabled sadistic abuse, and now, they’ve been pressured to face the reality. We hope this sends a transparent message to each establishment: survivors is not going to be silenced, and those that shield abusers shall be held accountable.”
The Related Press doesn’t sometimes title victims of sexual assault until they arrive ahead publicly, like Maldonado has.
Hadden’s accusers additionally included Evelyn Yang, the spouse of former presidential candidate and New York mayoral candidate Andrew Yang, who stated Hadden abused her when she was pregnant along with her first little one.
Throughout Hadden’s prison trial, 9 victims testified about how Hadden molested them throughout gynecology remedies, beginning within the late Nineteen Eighties, at outstanding hospitals.
Allegations of misconduct throughout examinations first surfaced in 2012. Hadden was indicted on state prices in 2014 as ladies saved coming ahead. However in 2016, the workplace of the Manhattan district lawyer on the time, Cyrus Vance Jr., allowed Hadden to plead responsible to 2 low-level felonies and a misdemeanor in a deal that required him to surrender his medical license however didn’t require jail time and saved him out of the state’s intercourse offender registry.
Among the ladies who had gone to state prosecutors have been outraged, however their tales didn’t begin receiving public consideration till the #MeToo motion started gaining steam in 2017.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan acquired a grand jury indictment in opposition to Hadden in 2020, prices primarily based on the truth that some sufferers at his New York places of work had come into the town from different states.
In November 2023, Columbia and Columbia College Irving Medical Middle introduced they’d be notifying 6,500 former sufferers of Hadden of his federal intercourse crime convictions and giving victims the chance to use for compensation from a $100 million settlement fund. The deadline to use has been prolonged to Could 15.
