Sex Abuse Victims File Lawsuits Against the University of Michigan

Dozens of former students from the University of Michigan have joined a lawsuit alleging that now-deceased physician, Dr. Robert Anderson, molested them during routine physicals. The latest allegation implicates legendary football coach Bo Schembechler who was reportedly told of the abuse and yet did nothing about it. This is the first time any plaintiff has come forward alleging the Schembechler had knowledge of what was happening.

Anderson worked at the University of Michigan as early as the 1960s and remained with the school until 2003. The University issued a statement saying that they believe Anderson assaulted male athletes under the guise of medicine. It has initiated an investigation of nearly 400 complaints and has expressed a willingness to compensate victims.

The lawsuit currently lists 53 plaintiffs including one man who was associated with the football team while he was a student. In 1982, this man mentioned the abuse to Schembechler who told him to report the abuse to athletic director Don Canham. According to the plaintiff, Schembechler appeared “visibly angry”, but Canham did nothing once the student reported the abuse to him.

Institutional Sex Abuse Lawsuits

Institutional sex abuse lawsuits have come to the forefront amid allegations that the Catholic Church protected priests who were accused by parishioners of sexual misconduct. Now, the Boy Scouts of America is among the institutions that are fighting sex abuse lawsuits.

Essentially, any institution, employer, or company is responsible for the conduct of any employee while they are working for that company. In the case of the Catholic Church, and the Boy Scouts of America, there is further liability insofar as the institutions are accused of covering up the scandals and allowing the accused employees to harm more children.

The same allegations will be leveled against the University of Michigan and, in particular, Don Canham. Canham is accused of knowing about the sexual abuse and fielding several complaints concerning the aforementioned doctor. However, instead of acting on this information, he buried it allowed the doctor to continue practicing medicine at the university. This exposed hundreds of others to sexual assault at the hands of this doctor.

Plaintiffs generally join onto these lawsuits years after the abuse occurred. Many are too ashamed to publicly state that they were molested, and many others may not have been sure what happened to them constituted abuse. It is for that reason that many states have extended the statute of limitations for these cases.

Since the elements of the scandal are generally already established, the plaintiffs need to prove that they were there, that the doctor had access to them, and recount the story of their abuse. They are compensated for their pain and suffering damages.

Talk to a Houston Personal Injury Attorney Today

If you have been the victim of institutional abuse, call the Houston personal injury attorneys at Livingston & Flowers today to discuss the matter free of charge. You are entitled to recover damages for the intentional infliction of emotional distress. Call today to learn more.

Resource:

www.chron.com/news/article/More-victims-sue-U-of-Michigan-over-doctor-s-15445992.php

https://www.livingstonflowerslaw.com/plaintiff-alleges-his-paralysis-was-caused-by-water-slide/