University of Michigan Settles Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

By James Richards  |

After students brought a lawsuit against the University of Michigan to help force changes to how the school deals with sexual misconduct, the parties have reached a settlement agreement.

The case, which was filed in federal court, states that the university will create a multidisciplinary committee designed to protect the community from sexual assault and abuse. The committee will include community members, members of faculty, and Title IX experts.

In 2020, allegations came out about the school’s former campus doctor, Robert Anderson. Hundreds of male students had come forward stating that the doctor, who worked at the school for 40 years, had sexually assaulted them. The university settled the lawsuit with the accusers for around $490 million. After that, the former school president was removed from his position after emails were released that detailed a sexual relationship with one of the university’s students. Additionally, the school settled another lawsuit due to 8 women who alleged to be emotionally or sexually abused by one of the school’s academic officials.

This separate legal action was put forward to help rebuild the trust between the students and the school, which was been lost over the past couple of years. The committee, which was core to the settlement, will be used as a key tool in fighting campus sexual violence.

If you have experienced abuse — whether physical, emotional, sexual, or financial — from a current or former intimate partner, this decision may open new avenues for civil compensation.

We understand how difficult it is to revisit these experiences. Our team works with survivors on a confidential, trauma-informed basis. We discuss your options at your pace, in a safe environment, and on a contingency-fee basis, which means you don’t pay for our services until your claim concludes.

There are also options to protect your identity throughout the legal process, including publication bans and the use of pseudonyms where appropriate.

If you would like to discuss whether the new tort of intimate partner violence may apply to your situation — or any other potential civil claim relating to abuse you have experienced — we are here when you are ready.

Get Help Now or call us at 1-866-649-2623 for a confidential, no-obligation consultation.

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James Richards
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As a member of our class action practice group, I act for survivors harmed by institutional abuses in both class action and individual civil sexual assault claims. I believe that every harmed person deserves to be heard and advocated for.