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Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital have agreed to a $750 million settlement involving 576 patients of former gynecologist Robert Hadden, bringing the total civil payouts in his sexual abuse scandal to over $1 billion, NBC 4 New York reported.
The agreement, finalized by a Manhattan judge, is the latest in a series of legal settlements over Hadden’s decades-long pattern of abuse while practicing at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and affiliated facilities. Hadden, 66, was convicted in January 2023 on federal charges of enticing victims across state lines to sexually abuse them. He is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence.
A plaintiffs’ attorney who has represented hundreds of survivors said the average payout in this latest settlement will be about $1.3 million per plaintiff. Columbia previously reached a $277 million settlement with more than 200 other victims. “This victory is not just for the victims and survivors… but for all of us who entrust medical institutions with our health care,” the attorney said in a statement. He accused Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian of protecting their reputations instead of patients and called the settlement a message of institutional accountability.
While Columbia confirmed the settlement, it did not disclose the amount. In a written statement, the university emphasized its “ongoing work and commitment to repair harm and support survivors,” noting that a “multi-pronged plan” is underway that includes an external investigation, a survivor settlement fund, and new patient safety policies.
NewYork-Presbyterian deferred comment to Columbia, stating that Hadden was employed by the university.
One of the plaintiffs, Laurie Maldonado, stated that the case was never about money. “Columbia University enabled sadistic abuse, and now, they’ve been forced to face the truth,” she said. “Survivors will not be silenced, and those who protect abusers will be held responsible.”
Among Hadden’s accusers is Evelyn Yang, wife of former presidential and mayoral candidate Andrew Yang. Yang publicly disclosed that she was sexually abused by Hadden while pregnant with her first child. Nine women testified during Hadden’s federal criminal trial about abuse they suffered in his care, some of it dating back to the late 1980s.
Complaints about Hadden’s conduct first surfaced in 2012. He was indicted by New York State prosecutors in 2014, but in 2016 was allowed to plead guilty to two low-level felonies and a misdemeanor. The controversial plea deal, made under former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., resulted in the loss of Hadden’s medical license but no jail time and no placement on the state sex offender registry.
The case gained renewed attention during the #MeToo movement, prompting federal prosecutors to bring charges in 2020 based on Hadden’s abuse of out-of-state patients at his New York offices.
In a separate action, Columbia and its medical center notified 6,500 former Hadden patients in late 2023 of his conviction and opened a $100 million fund offering financial compensation. The deadline for survivors to apply has been extended to May 15.
