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The settlement with Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian pushes the total bill for Robert A. Hadden’s actions to nearly $1 billion.
May 6, 2025Updated 3:10 p.m. ET
Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian have agreed to pay $750 million to hundreds of women who were sexually abused by a former doctor who preyed upon patients at prestigious New York hospitals for two decades.
The agreement brings to roughly $1 billion the amount paid for the wrongdoing of the doctor, Robert A. Hadden, coming after earlier settlements in which his former employers agreed to pay victims more than $200 million.
Mr. Hadden was convicted of sex crimes in 2023. Laurie Maldonado, a former patient and spokeswoman for his victims, said in a statement that this week’s civil settlement “is not about money — it’s about accountability.”
“Columbia University enabled sadistic abuse, and now, they’ve been forced to face the truth,” she said. “We hope this sends a clear message to every institution: Survivors will not be silenced, and those who protect abusers will be held responsible.”
NewYork-Presbyterian referred messages seeking comment to Columbia, which said in a statement that the settlement announced this week was “another step forward in our ongoing work and commitment to repair harm and support survivors” of Mr. Hadden’s abuse.
“We deeply regret the pain that his patients suffered,” the university said. “We commend the survivors for their bravery in coming forward.”
