(WWJ/AP) Some pilots are coming forward, saying they are victims of a late University of Michigan campus doctor.
Dr. Robert Anderson is accused of molesting hundreds of young men there, including athletes who saw him for injuries and physicals. The majority of his victims were men. However, women have also come forward claiming he abused them.
Some 20 women have accused the former doctor, according to the Detroit Free Press.
An Ann Arbor area cargo pilot said he first met Anderson in 2000 for a routine exam that turned out to be anything but.
He told the Associated Press Anderson asked him to undress and get on the table, wearing nothing but a medical gown.
“I was only 33; I probably didn't need a prostate exam but I was naive,” the Ann Arbor-area man, now 53, told The Associated Press. “He examined my whole body like a dermatologist might. It was very creepy. It was too much. I didn't go back. ... You're not touching me again.”
Anderson said he believed in a "complete exam."
However, his abuse took a toll on many of his victims. One of his accusers said in an interview with the AP he "suffered physically and emotionally as a result of the abuse in 2001."
Related
Related
Anderson was designated by the government as an aviation medical examiner in southeastern Michigan for pilots, air traffic controllers and others in the aviation field who regularly need physicals. However, he set his own rates and had no financial relationship with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Anderson died in 2008 and worked at the University from the mid 60’s through 2003. He retired five years before his death because a stroke compromised his hand.
The University sent about 300,000 letters to former students last year to gather information to assist in an investigation conducted by WilmerHale lawfirm.
U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts pushed back, saying the school should avoid communicating with people that could become plaintiffs.
The University was told to follow up and tell people that participation with WilmerHale was strictly voluntary.
U of M expressed both a willingness to compensate the victims outside of court, but also sought to have the cases dismissed because many were from decades ago.
A class action lawsuit is likely against the university. However, a number of former students have already filed separate lawsuits.
A January 28th court filing said Anderson may have abused upward of 850 men and women, which exceeds the number of victims included in a $500 million settlement against former Michigan State University doctor, Larry Nassar.
It is unclear how many pilots came forward against Anderson. However, when another doctor complained about the number of exams Anderson performed each day in 1973, he told the FAA he easily performed 750 exams per year.
Related
Related
