Columbia University to Notify 6,500 Patients of Gynecologist's Abuse, Offers $100M Settlement Fund

University also commits to external investigation into failures that enabled abuse, as deadline for Adult Survivors Act lawsuits approaches

Columbia University has announced plans to notify nearly 6,500 former patients of disgraced gynecologist Robert Hadden about his crimes, following his federal conviction and 20-year prison sentence for sexually abusing patients.
The university has also pledged to conduct an external investigation into the circumstances that allowed Hadden's abuse to continue for years, and has apologized for its failure to protect the victims.
Columbia is offering a $100 million settlement fund for survivors, and plans to establish a center for patient safety to review and improve its current policies.
The announcement comes with just 10 days left for victims of sexual abuse to file lawsuits in New York under the Adult Survivors Act, which lifts the legal time limit for such cases for a one-year period ending Nov. 23.
Columbia University has already reached two settlements involving 231 patients who sued the institution, totaling $236 million.