$750 Million Settlement in Columbia OB-GYN Sex Abuse Case

Columbia University has agreed to pay $750 million to settle claims brought by 576 former patients who allege they were sexually abused by Dr. Robert Hadden, a former OB-GYN affiliated with both Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. The plaintiffs assert that the institutions enabled Hadden's misconduct by failing to act on early complaints, thereby allowing him to continue abusing patients under the guise of routine medical care for decades.

According to the DiPietro Law Firm, which represents the plaintiffs, this is the largest per-plaintiff civil resolution in United States history, with an average payout of $1.3 million per survivor. This settlement follows more than a decade of litigation and public scrutiny regarding how Columbia and its medical affiliates handled mounting allegations against Hadden.

“This victory is not just for the victims and survivors of Columbia University and The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s cover-up who bravely came forward, but for all of us who entrust medical institutions with our health care,” said attorney Anthony T. DiPietro in a statement announcing the agreement.

What Happened?

Hadden’s alleged abuse spanned several decades and targeted hundreds of women, many of whom were pregnant or seeking routine gynecological care. Survivors describe being sexually violated during examinations in what was supposed to be a safe clinical environment. Despite internal complaints and apparent knowledge of his conduct within the institution, Hadden remained in practice until 2012.

The turning point in the legal battle came when DiPietro received a tip from a former patient in Utah. His subsequent investigation uncovered a 1995 letter from Columbia’s former chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology that acknowledged an incident of assault involving Hadden. This document, according to the firm, directly contradicted Columbia’s public claims that it had no prior knowledge of Hadden’s behavior, reinforcing allegations that the institution had been complicit in concealing the abuse.

"Many of these survivors were young women and pregnant patients seeking routine medical care,” the firm said in a public statement. “Despite early complaints and law enforcement involvement, Hadden remained in practice for years, continuing to exploit patients under the guise of medical treatment."

The Criminal Case

Hadden’s conduct eventually led to criminal prosecution. In 2016, he pled guilty in New York state court to a third-degree criminal sexual act and forcible touching. He surrendered his medical license as part of that plea agreement but faced no prison time at that stage. That changed in 2023 when a New York federal jury found him guilty of inducing four victims to cross state lines for the purpose of sexual abuse.

U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman sentenced Hadden to 20 years in prison and imposed a lifetime term of supervised release. The federal prosecution painted a disturbing picture of long-term, premeditated abuse that was enabled, in part, by the trust patients placed in Hadden as a physician affiliated with two of New York’s most prestigious medical institutions.

Institutional Response and Prior Settlements

The recent $750 million settlement is the most significant in a series of payouts related to Hadden’s misconduct. In 2021, Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian agreed to a $71.5 million settlement involving 79 survivors. A year later, they paid $165 million to an additional group of 147 women. Together with the latest agreement, total settlements linked to Hadden now exceed $1 billion.

In 2023, Columbia announced a new $100 million settlement fund and pledged to conduct an external investigation, led by a partner at Sidley Austin LLP, into how the institution handled complaints about Hadden. Columbia University President Minouche Shafik acknowledged the university’s failure, stating, “Columbia failed those who were abused by Hadden, and for that we are deeply sorry.”

A Columbia spokesperson reiterated that sentiment in a statement provided to Law360: “We deeply regret the pain that his patients suffered, and this settlement is another step forward in our ongoing work and commitment to repair harm and support survivors. We commend the survivors for their bravery in coming forward.”

The Path to Accountability

The plaintiffs and their legal team have maintained that this case is not simply about monetary compensation, but about exposing the systemic failures that allowed the abuse to continue unchecked. Laurie Maldonado, one of Hadden’s accusers, said, “This settlement is not about money — it’s about accountability. Columbia University enabled sadistic abuse, and now, they’ve been forced to face the truth.”

The DiPietro Law Firm emphasized that Columbia’s long-standing pattern of denial and concealment exacerbated the harm suffered by Hadden’s victims. The discovery of the 1995 apology letter was a pivotal moment, revealing that institutional knowledge of the abuse existed nearly three decades ago.

Law Firms Involved

The plaintiffs are represented by The DiPietro Law Firm, which has pursued Hadden-related litigation for over a decade and has now secured more than $1 billion in total settlements from Columbia University. The external investigation into the matter is being led by a partner at Sidley Austin LLP, one of the firms tasked with reviewing institutional failures related to the case.