NEW YORK CITY — Columbia University agreed to a $750 million settlement with 576 victims of disgraced former gynecologist Robert Hadden.
Hadden was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2023 for sexually abusing hundreds of patients when he worked as a gynecologist and OB/GYN at several prestigious New York City hospitals, including ones associated with Columbia University and New York-Presbyterian, from 1993 to 2012. Some of the victims were minors at the time of their assault.
Victims say they were assaulted by Hadden while undergoing a wide range of treatments, including basic pregnancy care, postpartum care, and HPV exams. Two teens say their assaults happened during their first gynecological exams.
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The allegations against Hadden received renewed attention in 2020 when former presidential candidate Andrew Yang’s wife, Evelyn Yang, told CNN that she was sexually abused by the doctor. Hadden was arrested in 2012 in his office after a patient reported to law enforcement that he licked her vagina during an examination. The arrest, however, was voided and Hadden was allowed to go back to work for more than a month. It’s during that time period that he allegedly assaulted Yang.
In 2016, Hadden pleaded guilty to two charges of forcible touching and third-degree sexual abuse. He did not go to prison for these charges but had to surrender his medical license and register as a low-level sex offender.
Columbia University, New York-Presbyterian Pay Over $1 Billion to Robert Hadden Victims
Monday’s settlement isn’t the first reached with Hadden’s victims. Columbia University and New York-Presbyterian previously agreed to pay a total of $277 million to more than 200 victims, bringing the hospitals’ total cost to more than $1 billion. According to Attorney Anthony T. DiPietro, who has represented hundreds of the victims since 2012, it is the largest medical abuse recovery in history.
“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 healthcare,” he wrote in a press release following the settlement announcement. “For far too long, Columbia and New York-Presbyterian have prioritized protecting their reputations over protecting their patients. 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.”
A Columbia University spokesperson says that in addition to the victim’s fund, the school initiated an external investigation and “updated patient safety policies and programs to address the abuses of Robert Hadden,” according to the NY Post.
“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,” the spokesperson continued.
