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A new report has found that a University of Michigan doctor molested hundreds of students over decades, and that the university ignored warnings dating back to 1975.
The report, completed by law firm WilmerHale, investigated the late doctor Robert Anderson, who worked at the University of Michigan from 1966 to 2003, and died in 2008, the Washington Post reports.
It found that the doctor routinely conducted medically unnecessary rectal and genital examinations, and largely corroborated media reports of Anderson’s history of sexual abuse.
The report referred to the doctor’s actions as a “pervasive, decades-long, destructive pattern of sexual misconduct.”
Anderson worked specifically for Michigan’s athletic department from 1981 to 1999, the Washington Post reported. More than 230 former patients of the doctor have filed lawsuits against the University of Michigan in the U.S. District Court in Detroit, the Washington Post reports.
Lawyers for the patients told the Washington Post that the report confirmed what they already knew: that there was decades of sexual abuse, the university had ample opportunity to address it, but ignored claims.
The report said the university first heard claims about the doctor’s misconduct in the late 70s, and it was so well known among students that they called him “Handy Andy” or “Dr. Drop Your Drawers Anderson.” Students reported rectal examinations during routine physicals, and having their genitalia touched.
One wrestler complained in writing to his coach in 1975, but nothing was done. More complaints were made in 1978 and 1979, and the doctor was reportedly fired, but then had that ruling overturned by a supervisor.
In response to the latest report, the University of Michigan issued a statement offering its “heartfelt apology” for the abuse perpetrated by Anderson. It promised to assess the report’s findings and work to foster a safe environment for its students.
Large organizations around the country have faced thousands of sexual misconduct lawsuits in recent years.
These organizations include universities like the University of Michigan and the University of Southern California. Formal organizations like the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of America have also come under fire. After recent allegations came to light of a University of Michigan cover-up, the college is in the process of revising its sexual misconduct policy.
What do you think of the latest report on the University of Michigan’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations? Let us know in the comments.
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