ANN ARBOR, MI – It has been more than a year since the late University of Michigan sports doctor Robert Anderson’s first survivors came forward publicly claiming they were sexually abused by the doctor.
Anderson worked at UM for nearly three decades in a variety of roles, most notably as director of the university health service and as a sports doctor. Anderson survivors, which include former college students and student athletes, say they faced unnecessary hernia and prostate exams, as well as genital petting during routine checkups.
Read more about the Robert Anderson case here.
A 240-page independent report prepared by Washington, DC-based law firm WilmerHale and published in May describes Anderson’s years of sexual abuse and the failure of university staff to stop the abuse.
The ongoing scandal has attracted national attention with allegations that legendary UM soccer coach Bo Schembechler may have known about Anderson’s abuse and did not report it.
Related: Did Bo Know? A battle for the legacy of the legendary Michigan soccer coach
Here’s a timeline detailing Anderson’s career – where and when he worked, as well as key dates in the sexual abuse investigation.
1949: Anderson receives his Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University.
1953: Anderson graduates from UM with a medical degree.
1953-57: Anderson trains as an intern in internal medicine at Hurley Medical Center in Flint. He joined a private practice in Flint where he developed a new sports medicine program that offered high school athletes free physical exams. This program was later adopted by the American Medical Society.
The late UM doctor accused of abuse once worked in Flint
1960: Between 1960 and 2003, when Anderson retired from UM, he performed approximately 4,065 medical exams on 2,595 different airmen, according to the Federal Aviation Administration obtained from MLive / The Ann Arbor News through the Freedom of Information Act by.
Some have come forward claiming abuse by the doctor.
Pilots allege abuse by the late University of Michigan doctor who performed more than 4,000 physical exams for the FAA
September 1966: Anderson is hired by UM as an assistant doctor.
1967: Anderson begins working as a team doctor in the university’s sports department.
1968: Anderson becomes director of the University Health Services and receives a part-time position as a clinical instructor in the Internal Medicine Department of Michigan Medicine.
1975: UM wrestler Tad DeLuca sends a letter to coach Bill Johannesen and Athletic Director Don Canham saying: “Something is wrong with Dr. Anderson not “and” no matter what you go in there for, he always lets you drop the drawers. “
Three former UM wrestlers comment on allegations of sexual abuse against the deceased doctor
January 1980: Anderson resigns as director of UHS but remains on staff as chief medical officer and continues to treat patients. Thomas Easthope, vice president of the Student Union, learns of Anderson’s behavior towards patients and tries to fire him.
Several UM workers overheard rumors of abusive doctors, including one who thought he had fired him
Easthope says his decision has been overturned.
The former University of Michigan official says he tried to fire the doctor but was overridden
July 1981: Anderson becomes senior physician in UM’s sports department.
1990s: The athletics departments for men and women merge and Anderson sees athletes from the fields of soccer, athletics and wrestling, among others.
2003: Anderson withdraws from UM.
November 27, 2008: Anderson dies in his home after a terminal diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis in March 2006, according to his obituary.
2018: DeLuca sends another letter to current sporting director Warde Manuel to inform officials of Anderson’s previous behavior.
February 2020: UM asks former students and undergraduate athletes who may have been abused by Anderson to contact a compliance hotline. Washtenaw District Prosecutor’s Office has declined to pursue criminal charges.
March 2020: Michigan attorney general Dana Nessel says she will not open an investigation into Anderson’s abuse without the full cooperation of the university, which includes a waiver of attorney privilege.
AG Nessel would only investigate sexual abuse by University of Michigan doctors with the school’s cooperation
July 2020: Anderson’s first female survivor speaks out publicly. Cathy Kalahar played tennis in UM from 1973-75 and said she was sexually abused by Anderson during a routine medical exam when he asked her to completely undress, grab her boobs, make rough comments about it, and see her with his Fingers penetrating vaginally while she was not wearing gloves.
The late University of Michigan sports doctor “was the coldest and meanest psychopath I have ever met,” says one survivor
July 2020: A lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court alleges that Schembechler and Canham were aware of allegations of sexual abuse against Anderson.
October 2020: Lawyers representing hundreds of Anderson survivors begin mediating with UM lawyers. The university is faced with several lawsuits.
May 2021: WilmerHale publishes its report on Anderson showing that UM officials knew of the alleged sexual abuse by Anderson and could have stopped his abuse. The report gathered information from more than 800 people, including nearly 600 former patients.
June 2021: Schembechler’s son Matt and two other former UM football players hold a press conference claiming Schembechler knew about Anderson’s abuse.
Bo Schembechler’s son goes public on allegations of sexual abuse by ex-Michigan doctor
June 2021: Dozens of Anderson survivors gather outside Michigan Stadium demanding transparency and full cooperation from UM so Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel can conduct an investigation into Anderson’s behavior.
Transparency, AG Investigation of Sexual Abuse Survivors by the late University of Michigan Sports Doctor
June 2021: Several members of the Schembechler family as well as former soccer players and coaches defend Schembechler and say that he has never tolerated abuse or mistreatment of his players, his employees or anyone else.
More ex-Michigan soccer players, coaches come to Bo’s defense
CONTINUE READING:
“Give us back our humanity and dignity,” said a man who was abused by a sports doctor from the University of Michigan to the regent
Bo Schembechler’s son goes public on allegations of sexual abuse by ex-Michigan doctor
Who knew Why did it happen? A deeper dive into the University of Michigan Sexual Abuse Report
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