DeepSummary
The episode begins with Evelyn Yang, wife of former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, agonizing over whether to publicly reveal that she was sexually assaulted by her former OB-GYN, Robert Hadden, at Columbia University. After sharing her story in a CNN interview, a woman named Diane Monson in Utah recognized Hadden as the doctor who had assaulted her in 1993. Diane had written a letter to Columbia at the time, warning them about Hadden's misconduct, but received no substantive response.
Diane's lawyer, Anthony DiPietro, flew to Utah to search for the letter amidst Diane's vast collection of boxes and papers. After an exhaustive hunt, they found both Diane's letter detailing Hadden's assault, as well as the dismissive response from the Columbia OB/GYN department chair at the time, proving Columbia had been aware of Hadden's behavior decades before his eventual arrest.
The discovery of Diane's letter was a critical breakthrough, leading to a federal investigation by the Southern District of New York into Hadden's crimes. Numerous other survivors came forward, including minors Hadden had assaulted. In September 2020, Hadden was finally arrested and charged with enticing women across state lines for illegal sexual activity.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Evelyn Yang publicly revealing her sexual assault by Columbia OB/GYN Robert Hadden was a pivotal moment that prompted other survivors to come forward.
- Hadden survivor Diane Monson provided crucial evidence that Columbia had been warned about Hadden's misconduct in 1993 but failed to act.
- The discovery of Diane's 1993 letter warning Columbia about Hadden led to a federal investigation by the Southern District of New York.
- Numerous other Hadden survivors came forward during the investigation, including minors he had assaulted while patients.
- After evading accountability for decades, Hadden was finally arrested in September 2020 and charged with enticement and illegal sexual activity.
- The case exposed systemic failings at Columbia that enabled Hadden's predatory behavior and abuse of patients for over 20 years.
- Survivors like Evelyn Yang and Marissa Hoechstetter led the decades-long fight to bring Hadden to justice and hold Columbia accountable.
- The federal charges against Hadden represented a rare chance at justice for survivors after previous failures by state prosecutors.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I was, like, sick with anxiety. I wasn't sure if I, I was making the right decision, but I also felt like there was no turning back at that point.“ by Evelyn Yang
- “You have no idea how big this is. You have no idea.“ by Anthony DiPietro
- “It made me so angry because what it meant is that Columbia was responsible for every woman who came after Diane, including me, that felt like the smoking gun that they had always known.“ by Evelyn Yang
Entities
Organization
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Episode Information
Exposed: Cover-Up at Columbia University
Wondery
9/25/23
Evelyn Yang goes public, which sets off a search for a missing letter that could change everything.
If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, here are some resources:
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) survivor helpline is 1-800-656-4673.
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center provides resources for sexual violence and prevention education. You can find them at nsvrc.org.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 988.
To read Laura Beil and Bianca Fortis' article about this story on ProPublica visit: https://www.propublica.org/article/columbia-obgyn-sexually-assaulted-patients-for-20-years
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