Editor’s Note: The following 

article 
contains 
potentially 

triggering accounts and mentions 
of sexual assault

The 
law 
firm 
WilmerHale 

released a report on Tuesday 
summarizing 
their 
year-long 

investigation 
of 
sexual 
abuse 

allegations against Dr. Robert 
Anderson, finding “no doubt” 
that 
hundreds 
of 
allegations 

against Anderson are credible 
and 
represent 
a 
devastating 

pattern of misconduct The report 
tells of Anderson’s misconduct, 
awareness 
of 
Anderson’s 

misconduct at the University, 
and recommendations for the 
University 
“to 
help 
prevent, 

identify, investigate, and respond 
to the kind of misconduct in which 
Dr. Anderson engaged.”

Anderson was first hired as a 

physician at University Health 
System (UHS) in 1966, and was 
promoted to UHS director from 
1968 until 1980, when he resigned 
from his position as director but 
remained a physician at UHS. 
In 1981, Anderson transferred to 
the athletic department, where 
he remained a physician until 
1999. Anderson remained at the 
University as a faculty member 

until 2003.

WilmerHale 
outlined 
three 

main goals in their report: to 
“investigate the nature and scope 
of any misconduct by Dr Anderson 
as a University employee”, to 
“determine who at the University 
knew or should have known 
about such misconduct and what 
was done to address it” and 
to “recommend measures the 
University should take to help 
prevent, detect and address such 
misconduct in the future.” 

More than 300 patients told 

WilmerHale 
about 
Anderson’s 

misconduct in multiple positions 
he held during his 37-year tenure 
at the University. More than 
200 current and former U-M 
employees were interviewed for 
the 
investigation. 
WilmerHale 

additionally 
hired 
medical 

experts 
to 
better 
understand 

relevant standards of care, as 
well as social science experts to 
better understand how and why 
reports of sexual misconduct may 
not be noticed in institutional and 
medical settings.

WilmerHale wrote that the 

investigation 
was 
completely 

independent from the University, 
and that no person or department 
at 
the 
University 
sought 
to 

interfere, influence or impede the 
investigation. They also said that 
they are fully confident in the 
patterns of abuse revealed in the 

investigation because of certain 
behaviors and details that were 
consistent across all interviewed 
patients.

The 
investigation 
outlined 

how exactly Anderson typically 
engaged 
in 
misconduct: 

conducting invasive procedures 
that 
patients 
“perceived 
as 

unnecessary, 
performed 

inappropriately, or both” under 
the guise of legitimate medical 
treatment.

“For example, approximately 

one hundred patients described 
inappropriate prostate or rectal 
examinations; nearly 150 patients 
detailed 
inappropriate 
hernia 

and/or genital examinations; and 
a half-dozen patients told us about 
inappropriate breast and/or pelvic 
examinations,” the report said

Victims 
of 
Anderson’s 

misconduct experienced various 
appalling forms of sexual abuse, 
as reported to WilmerHale and 
DPSS. In 1965 or 1966, one patient 
was instructed to “‘strip down’” 
and “perform jumping jacks while 
naked.” Following the jumping 
jacks, Anderson inappropriately 
performed a prostate exam and 
“‘stroked’ the patient’s penis until 
he ejaculated.” After the patient 
ejaculated, Anderson said, “Nice 
color.”

Thursday, May 13, 2021

INDEX

Vol. CXXIX, No. 112
 © 2020 The Michigan Daily 

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OPINION................................
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inside

2
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Independent report finds 37 years of sexual 
abuse by former U-M doctor Robert Anderson

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM 
michigandaily.com

U-M athletic department 
implicated in Anderson 
sexual misconduct report

The 
law 
firm 
WilmerHale 

released 
an 
independent 

investigation report detailing the 
allegations of sexual misconduct 
against 
former 
University 
of 

Michigan 
physician 
Robert 

Anderson on Tuesday. 

In the 240-page report, former 

Wolverine 
football 
coach 
Bo 

Schembechler was mentioned 10 
times. According to the document, 
numerous former student athletes 
on the football team approached 
Schembechler 
with 
serious 

concerns 
about 
Anderson’s 

behavior. 

One 
former 
student 
athlete 

questioned Schembechler about 
Dr. 
Anderson’s 
methods 
but 

according to the student athlete, 
Schembechler told him to “toughen 
up.” The student athlete told the 
UM Department of Public Safety 
and Security (DPSS) that “you do 
not mess with Bo, and the matter 
was dropped.” 

Another former student athlete 

told DPSS that, “his position coach 
used the threat of an examination 
with Dr. Anderson as a motivational 
tool. (WilmerHale) interviewed the 
coach, who denied the allegation.”

The failure of the Athletic 

Department to protect students 
from abuse by those in authority 
goes beyond the football team. A 
former track athlete alleged that 
former coaches Jack Harvey and 
Ron Warhurst both “‘laughed’ and 
refused” when the student asked 
to see another physician after 
Anderson “(groped) his genitals.” 
Both Harvey and Warhurst deny 
the allegation. 

Read more at michigandaily.com
Read more at michigandaily.com

JOSH TAUBMAN AND MAX 

WADLEY

Summer Managing Sports Editors

MARTHA LEWAND AND JUSTIN 

O’BEIRNE

Daily Staff Reporters

 JARETT ORR/Daily 

The lawfirm WilmerHale found “no doubt” that hundreds of the allegations were credible. 

Courtesy of Evan Aaron

The Michigan athletic department 
was implicated in WilmerHale’s sexual 
misconduct report against Dr. Anderson. 

