Dr. Robert E. Anderson
The more than 1,000 men who accused late University of Michigan sports doctor Robert Anderson of sexually abusing them will share a $490-million settlement, The Detroit News reports, citing several sources.
The settlement, expected to be announced Wednesday, comes more than three years after university police began investigating claims of abuse dating back to the 1960s. The first man to share his story with media during the investigation was Robert Julian Stone, who The News reports feared the university would bury the case. His 2020 interview is said to have encouraged more men to come forward.
Anderson's abuse, which reportedly included forced masturbation and rape, continued for decades despite complaints to at least one top university official in the late '70s.
The News reports:
The settlement allocates $460 million for the approximately 1,050 claimants, and $30 million for future claimants who choose to participate in the settlement before July 31, 2023. ...
Each accuser will get an average of more than $438,000. The exact amount, however, for each individual will vary depending on circumstances.
The payout survivors will share is less than half the amount distributed in a 2018 settlement among women abused by MSU's Larry Nassar as adults and girls.
The first wave of women, 333, split $425 million, for an average of $1.27 million each.
