Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian have agreed to pay $750 million to hundreds of women who were sexually abused by a former doctor who preyed upon patients at prestigious New York hospitals for two decades.
The agreement brings to roughly $1 billion the amount paid for the wrongdoing of the doctor, Robert A. Hadden, coming after earlier settlements in which his former employers agreed to pay victims more than $200 million.
Mr. Hadden was convicted of sex crimes in 2023. Laurie Maldonado, a former patient and spokeswoman for his victims, said in a statement that this week’s civil settlement “is not about money — it’s about accountability.”
“Columbia University enabled sadistic abuse, and now, they’ve been forced to face the truth,” she said. “We hope this sends a clear message to every institution: Survivors will not be silenced, and those who protect abusers will be held responsible.”
Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian both declined to respond to messages seeking comment on Tuesday.
Anthony T. DiPietro, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said the settlement was approved on Monday by the New York Supreme Court, and involved 576 women who were abused by Mr. Hadden over roughly two decades.
“We started this litigation 13 years ago, back in 2012, which is before most people even heard of #MeToo,” Mr. DiPietro said in an interview. “It has been a long road.”
