University of Michigan Admits Sports Doctor Sexually Assaulted Students, But Wants Lawsuit Dismissed

The school argues the matter should be settled out of court

Aerial general view from a drone of Michigan Stadium on March 15, 2020 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Aerial general view from a drone of Michigan Stadium on March 15, 2020 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

In a court filing on Friday, the University of Michigan admitted the “sad reality that some of its students suffered sexual abuse at the hands of one of its former employees,” but it still aimed to get lawsuits against the school from victims who suffered the abuse from a sports physician who worked at the school in the 1970s dismissed.

The university received over 100 complaints about the behavior of Dr. Robert Anderson, and while the school says it’s prepared to settle out of court and “to the extent possible, provide justice — including in the form of monetary relief — to Anderson’s survivors,” it argues that the lawsuit should be dropped due to the statute of limitations.

“Plaintiff’s claims — which involve a perpetrator who has been dead for 12 years, who has not been employed by the University for 17 years, and who assaulted him years ago — are barred by the three-year statute of limitations,” the university argues in the court filing.

“The University does not here question Plaintiff’s claim that Anderson abused him or the harm he suffered as a result,” the school added in the document. “Indeed, the University stands ready to compensate Plaintiff through a resolution approach it will be developing in the coming months. But the statutes of limitations and sovereign immunity prevent him from recovering damages in court. Plaintiff’s complaint should be dismissed.”

“The university acknowledges the credible allegations made by former students that Robert E. Anderson abused patients at the university decades ago,” UM spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald told Newsweek in a statement. “It stands ready to address the harm he caused through a resolution process that is fair and timely and respects the privacy of those who have suffered. We believe that such a resolution process — including monetary relief — will be the most efficient and productive way to resolve these matters.”

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