Columbia University Settles Sexual Abuse Lawsuits for $750 Million

In a landmark settlement, Columbia University and its affiliated hospital in New York City will pay $750 million to hundreds of women who were sexually assaulted by a former gynecologist, according to the victims’ lawyer on Tuesday (06.05.25). The former doctor, described by judges as a ‘predator in a white coat,’ was convicted last year of sexual assaults. Robert Hadden was sentenced because, from the early 1990s to 2012, he attacked numerous women, including Eileen Yang, whose husband Andrew Yang was a Democratic presidential candidate in the 2020 elections. Lawyer Anthony DiPietro clarified that the $750 million settlement, paid by Columbia University and the Presbyterian University Hospital of New York, involves 576 former patients of the gynecologist as part of an amicable settlement in a civil court. ‘This agreement sends a strong message: we are here to ensure institutions that cover exploitation and attacks are held accountable for their crimes,’ stated DiPietro. Eileen Yang, who in 2020 revealed to CNN that Hadden had assaulted her in 2012 when she was seven months pregnant, and another victim, Marisa Esther, welcomed this settlement with a joint statement on X. They called it ‘a new major milestone in the long quest for justice on behalf of the women who survived Hadden.’ Despite this, they emphasized that ‘as incredible as this moment is, we know the numbers only represent a fraction of Hadden’s total crimes.’ Both victims also noted that Columbia University still has ‘much work to do’ to end the cover-up and systemic issues that allowed ‘the most active sexual predator in U.S. history’ to continue his actions. Columbia assured that it has implemented ‘a series of new policies and programs for patient safety’ following Hadden’s assaults. The hospital where Hadden carried out his attacks, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), had previously announced a friendly settlement paying $165 million to 147 of the doctor’s victims. In 2021, Columbia University also signed a friendly settlement of $71.5 million between its hospitals and 79 other victims.