University of Michigan Reaches $490M Settlement in Sports Doctor Sex Abuse Class Action

University of Michigan Sex Abuse Class Action Settlement Overview:

• Who: Former University of Michigan students have reached a $490 million settlement with the college.
• Why: The settlement resolves claims that more than 1,000 students were sexually abused by a former campus sports doctor.
• Where: The settlement was filed in a Michigan federal court.

After more than a year of mediation with students who say they were sexually abused by a college sports doctor, The University of Michigan has agreed to pay a $490 million settlement to resolve the claims.

On Jan. 19, the school and attorneys for the accusers said they had reached a deal, Law360 reported.

The settlement is set to provide $460 million in compensation to the 1,050 former University of Michigan students who came forward with allegations of sexual abuse against Dr. Robert Anderson, a sports physician who worked for the university from 1968 to 2003 and died in 2008.

Since his death, former students of the university have come forward to allege decades of abuse by the doctor, who worked in the college’s athletic department from 1981 to 1999.

A recent report by law firm WilmerHale, commissioned by the university, found that Anderson molested hundreds of students over decades and that the university ignored warnings dating back to 1975.

The university faced several lawsuits, including a proposed class action, alleging that for decades the school ignored reports by students that Anderson abused them during medical exams.

“We hope this settlement will begin the healing process for survivors,” University of Michigan Board of Regents Chair Jordan Acker said in a statement.

$30M To Be Set Aside As Reserve Fund For Additional Claims

As well as the pool of $460 million for current claimants and attorneys’ fees, another $30 million is being set aside as a reserve fund for any additional claims made before July 31, 2023.

Negotiations on the settlement began in October 2020. The settlement must be approved by 98% of claimants and by the Board of Regents, the university said.

Large educational 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 coverup, the college is in the process of revising its sexual misconduct policy.

What do you think of this settlement? Let us know in the comments!

The plaintiffs are represented by lead counsel from the Mike Cox Law Firm PLLC, Wright & Schulte LLC, Grewal Law PLLC and Drew Cooper & Anding. The plaintiffs steering committee is made up of attorneys from Pitt McGehee Palmer Bonanni & Rivers, Dalton & Associates PA, Estey & Bomberger, Flood Law, Olsman MacKenzie Peacock & Wallace, Manly Stewart & Finaldi, Marko Law, Shea Law PLLC, Wahlberg Woodruff Nimmo & Sloane LLP, White Law PLLC and Wright & Schulte.

The University of Michigan Dr. Anderson Torts Case is John Doe MC-1 v. the University of Michigan et al., Case No. 2:20-cv-10568, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

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