Start your Robert Hadden sex abuse claim today

Contact an experienced and successful sex abuse lawyer like Jordan Merson and his firm, Merson Law.

Mr. Merson was named in Super Lawyers and has been quoted by the national and local media, including USA Today, the New York Law Journal and the Daily News.  When New York Magazine published its top verdicts in 2014, Mr. Merson was included on that list, as well.

Background on the Robert Hadden Scandal & Robert Hadden Lawsuit:

Refinery29 reported that Dr. Hadden sexual assault claims span decades, between 1993 and 2012.

An investigation into Dr. Hadden didn’t begin to gain notability or significance until 2012. Since then, approximately 80 additional accusers have made abuse allegations against Hadden, bringing the total to more than 100 individual plaintiffs, according to The New York Post.

In 2016, Hadden was convicted of sexually abusing six patients, however, he secured a lenient plea deal that included no jail time and downgraded his sex offender status. Hadden reportedly fondled and performed oral sex on the patients, many of whom were pregnant. Some say the consequences were not enough.

“Hadden was allowed to negotiate something that closely resembled an early retirement than a criminal sentence for a sexual felony,” a lawyer representing Hadden’s accusers told the Washington Post.

And now, the gynecologist who sexually abused vulnerable and trusting patients for over two decades at prestigious New York hospitals has been sentenced on Tuesday, July 25th, 2023  to 20 years in prison by a federal judge who called his crimes unprecedented.

Who Is Dr. Robert Hadden?

Dr. Robert Hadden worked as an OB/GYN in the Manhattan area between 1993 and 2012. He worked at the Columbia University Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital. He’s accused of sexually assaulting women, and at least one minor, who went to him for checkups and pre-and post-natal care.

“Hadden acted as a predator in a white coat,” Audrey Strauss, the acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said at a press conference announcing the new criminal charges lodged against Hadden in September of this year.

At the news conference, a woman claiming Hadden abused her said the doctor preyed on women going to their first gynecology appointment.

According to the federal indictment, Hadden would engage in a pattern of abuse. NPR reports that Hadden would try to be alone with his patients. He would reportedly ask personal questions and gain their trust before sexually assaulting them while in his medical care.

Are there more victims out there?

“The abusive behavior alleged here took place over the course of nearly two decades, which means there could be many victims out there we have not heard from,” said FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. at the news conference announcing the indictment.

We are asking anyone seeing this information to reach out to us…It is important to remember nothing Dr. Hadden has done was, or ever will be your fault.

We see time and time again that voices matter and those who have stepped forward have empowered others to do the same.”

Doctor Robert Hadden Lawsuit

More than 100 women have filed sexual abuse lawsuits against Dr. Hadden and Columbia University. The doctor faces at least 20 years in prison in the new federal case against him.

Some women who say they were assaulted by Hadden claim that New York Presbyterian Hospital and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office also bear responsibility.

In addition, women have rallied to demand the resignation of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, who handled the 2016 no-jail-time indictment.

The New York Adult Survivors Act

Last year, the Adult Survivors Act passed in New York, opening a one-year lookback window for previously time-barred claims of sexual assault.

The Adult Survivors Act grants victims of sexual assault additional time to process their grief and file a lawsuit against their assailant or the institutions that enabled their abuse.

With the Adult Survivors Act, and now Dr. Hadden’s criminal charges, victims have a better path forward for justice.

Columbia University Responds

“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our patients. We are committed to treating every patient with respect and delivering care to the highest professional standards. We condemn sexual misconduct in any form and extend our deepest apologies to the women whose trust Robert Hadden violated and to their families,” Columbia University said in its response to CBS News.

Columbia is also a defendant in a Dr. Robert Hadden sexual assault lawsuit alleging the university enabled Hadden’s pattern of behavior.

Helpful Links with Information & News about Dr. Robert Hadden’s Sexual Assault

• United States of America v. Robert Hadden
• New York gynecologist charged with six federal sex abuse counts
• Former Obstetrician/Gynecologist Robert Hadden Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Sexually Abusing Patients
• N.Y. doctor charged with sexual abuse of patients, including Andrew Yang’s wife
• New York gynecologist indicted on federal charges of sexually assaulting patients
• A Doctor Admitted To Sexually Abusing Patients And Then Walked Free