Report: U. of Michigan missed chances to stop doctor's abuse

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Staff at the University of Michigan missed many opportunities to stop a doctor who committed sexual misconduct for decades with long-term consequences for hundreds of patients including student athletes, a law firm hired by the school reported Tuesday.

The long-awaited report by the WilmerHale firm comes more than a year after former students publicly accused the late Robert Anderson of molesting them during routine physicals or other visits. Some university officials at the time took no action despite being aware of complaints.

Their failure to act allowed Anderson to continue working for the university and see patients until his retirement in 2003, attorneys for the firm wrote.

“He continued to provide medical services to student athletes and other patients — and to engage in sexual misconduct with large numbers of them — for the rest of his career,” the report said.

A January court filing indicated there could be more than 850 victims, which would exceed the number of women and girls who were part of a $500 million settlement with Michigan State University over abuse by sports doctor Larry Nassar. Ohio State University has paid more than $45 million to 185 people who said they were groped by Richard Strauss, another sports doctor.

University health administrators failed to intervene and stop Anderson’s misconduct despite multiple explicit reports to Thomas Easthope, who was then the Assistant Vice President of Student Services and oversaw UHS.

Easthope has claimed he confronted Anderson and fired him, but that was not true, the report said.

“Despite having heard about Dr. Anderson’s misconduct, Mr. Easthope himself signed documentation related to Dr. Anderson’s continued employment at UHS in January 1980 and approved a salary increase for...