U of M Physician Targeted Several Groups – Part III – LGBT & Vulnerable Students

Grewal Law represents over 100 survivors of Robert Anderson’s sexual abuse as part of the Anderson Survivors Legal Team.  Robert Anderson worked for the University of Michigan in multiple capacities, and in addition to his actual U of M positions, his U of M affiliation gave him avenues to prey on people who were not affiliated with the University of Michigan.  According to reports, Anderson assaulted males and females, minors and adults, members of the gay community and straight community, numerous U of M athletes who were required to see him, and employees whose employers required his physicals.  We represent survivors who were assaulted during every decade that Anderson practiced: the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s.

Anderson Took Advantage Of The LGBT Community.

In the 1980s, as the AIDS epidemic began, many gay people were, sadly, discriminated against.  According to one of our clients, gay men, including college students (some of whom were minors) did not feel comfortable going to most physicians because they “would look at gay people funny” and “would be afraid to touch them.”  Like many young men, our client asked his friends in the gay community which physician he should go see.

Our client initially saw Anderson at his private practice for a sore throat.  As soon as Anderson came into the exam room, he pulled down our client’s pants and started fondling his penis.  There was no explanation and no warning.  No gloves were used, and Anderson did not wash his hands at any point.  Anderson did not examine the client’s throat and didn’t take any of his vital signs.

At the next visit, Anderson prescribed our client, who had never taken any type of anxiety medication, a large amount of Valium, and sent him home with two huge bottles.  This began an addiction to Valium, and Anderson gave and/or prescribed our client Valium at every visit thereafter.  Anderson gave our client Valium to make him drowsy and more relaxed so it would be easier to abuse him, and he wanted our client to be addicted to this highly addictive medication.

The sexual abuse continued during the second visit, and at every subsequent appointment.  The abuse was essentially the same at each visit: Anderson would pull down our client’s pants and roughly fondle his penis and testicles, and he would have our client lie on his side on the table and would painfully penetrate our client’s anus with his un-gloved middle finder.

During the mid to latter time period of his treatments with Anderson, Anderson forced our client to look at his uncircumcised penis and touch it.  He informed our client that he was going to undergo circumcision, and, once Anderson became circumcised, he forced our client to look at and “fully examine” his post-operative penis. This further traumatized our client.

Our client kept going back because he was addicted to Valium.  Also, Anderson knew how to appear compassionate about gay issues at a time when the gay population did not feel that physicians were understanding or compassionate, according to our client.  In Ann Arbor and nearby regions, many members of the gay community felt as if Anderson was the only physician they could go to with questions.

Prior to our client being abused by Anderson, an activist in the gay community had informed Anderson’s boss that Anderson was abusing gay people, according to U of M records.  Anderson’s boss claims to have asked Anderson to resign after hearing this.  However, U of M documents show that Anderson’s time at U of M was uninterrupted from 1967 – 2003.  This is an excerpt from the U of M President’s Report for 1979 – 1980: “In January of 1980, Dr. Anderson resigned as Director of the University Health Service to devote more time to his clinical fields of urology / andrology and athletic medicine both here and in private practice.  During his tenure as Director, he energetically developed many programs – his many contributions to health care are acknowledged at all levels of the University community.”

Anderson Was On The Staff At U Of M Hospital.

One of our clients was a patient at U of M Hospital when Anderson was consulted to evaluate and assess him.  Sadly, this young man had to endure Anderson’s invasive examinations while lying sick in a hospital bed – exams that were unnecessary given the conditions the patient had.

Anderson Abused Undergraduate And Graduate Students.

We have clients who were undergraduate students at U of M when assaulted as well as graduate students in fields that include anthropology, medicine and dentistry.  Dental students may have been especially likely to see Anderson since the dental school was in the same building as Anderson’s office for a period of time.  These students were assaulted by Anderson at their very first visit and other visits, if they had to go back.  According to reports, even when Anderson left his position as Director of Student Health Services, he continued to have an office in the Student Health Services building, and he used this office – and the prestige that came with it – to not only treat students, but to treat people coming in for physical required by the FAA.

Dedicated Representation For Sexual Abuse Survivors  

Grewal Law represented a third of the first-wave plaintiffs in the MSU and Larry Nassar lawsuits, and the Grewal team was instrumental in obtaining the half a billion-dollar settlement from MSU. Currently, the award-winning lawyers at Grewal Law are fighting to hold USAG and USOC accountable for their roles in allowing Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse to occur. Our attorneys at Grewal Law understand what it takes to prevail against sexual predators and the companies that allow their sexual misconduct to occur.

Please contact our firm’s experienced attorneys at (888) 227-4770 or contact us here for a free and 100% confidential consultation. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you.