Jan 19, 2022 - Politics & Policy

University of Michigan reaches $490M settlement in sex abuse case

Erin Doherty

on Vaughn, former University of Michigan and former NFL football player, speaks at a press conference on the University of Michigan campus on June 16, 2021 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. — Jon Vaughn, a former University of Michigan and NFL football player, speaks at a press conference in Ann Arbor, Mich., in June 2021. Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

The University of Michigan on Wednesday reached a $490 million settlement with over a thousand survivors who allege that they were sexually assaulted by a former physician in the school's athletic department.

Driving the news: "It's been a long and challenging journey and these survivors have refused to remain silent," attorney Parker Stinar said Wednesday.

"Because of their persistency to hold the university accountable, justice is finally served on their behalf," Stinar said.

The big picture: Sexual abuse allegations against Robert Anderson, who worked for the school from 1966 to 2003 and was a physician for multiple sports teams, were first publicized in February 2020.

Since Anderson's death in 2008, more than 950 individuals have come forward to report instances of sexual misconduct committed by the doctor, according to the Michigan Daily.
The settlement also comes days after the University of Michigan removed Mark Schlissel as president due to an alleged "inappropriate relationship with a university employee."

Between the lines: $460 million of the settlement will be allocated to the 1,050 survivors who have already come forward. An additional $30 million is being set aside in a reserve fund for survivors that may come forward in the future.

"If that fund is not exhausted, then it goes back to the 1,050," Stinar said.

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University of Michigan reaches $490M settlement in sex abuse case

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