ANN ARBOR (WWJ/AP)—A nearly 250-page report concludes staff at the University of Michigan missed multiple opportunities to stop a doctor who allegedly committed sexual misconduct over decades at the college.
The 240-page report compiled by the WilmerHale law firm, but released by the University, comes more than a year after former students publicly accused Dr. Robert Anderson of assaulting them during routine physicals or other visits.
According to the report, some university officials turned away from the accusations and took “no action” when they were brought to their attention, especially in the athletic department.
The university called upon the independent WilmerHale law firm for an “independent, comprehensive review of what happened during the doctor’s long career.”
Dr. Robert Anderson, who died in 2008, worked at Michigan from the mid-1960s through 2003. The earliest reports date all the way back to 1975. The university believes he assaulted athletes, mostly men, during routine physicals and injury exams.
The report said Anderson engaged in sexual misconduct on "countless occasions" during his 37 years there.
The school sent more than 300,000 letters to alumni in August of last year seeking information the WilmerHale Firm could use for their investigation.
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The Detroit Free Press reports WilmerHale ultimately collected information from 800 people, 300 of them taking part in interviews.
However, a U.S. District Judge intervened after lawyers argued the school should not be communicating with potential plaintiffs in the case.
Hundreds of athletes, and some pilots, have come forward saying they were victims of Robert Anderson.
The conclusion of today’s report reads in full: “In spite of the limitations attributable to the passage of time, the paucity of relevant documentary evidence, and the unavailability of patients and witnesses, we have no doubt that Dr. Anderson engaged in a prolonged pattern of sexual misconduct involving many members of the University community. Whether or not others should have taken note of the rumors and innuendo surrounding Dr. Anderson in his first dozen years at the University or in the years thereafter, there is no reasonable explanation for Thomas Easthope’s (associated vice president for student services, appointed in 1972) of failure to do so based on the information conveyed to him between 1978 or 1979 and 1981.
The University has significantly changed in the nearly two decades since Dr. Anderson’s retirement. The University of today has greater understanding and awareness of what constitutes sexual misconduct, additional reporting obligations, centralized processes for responding to reports, and stronger support systems for those affected. Our recommendations should enhance the University’s policies, procedures, and practices to prevent this kind of misconduct from happening again.”
See the full report here.
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