Columbia Report: Institutional Failures Around Robert Hadden

On March 10, 2026, an independent external investigation led by Joan Loughnane published a report that described systemic failures at Columbia University and at affiliated clinical settings that allowed sexual abuse to continue. The report identified a culture that discouraged reporting of misconduct, ineffective medical chaperoning during sensitive exams, and incomplete record‑keeping that helped conceal patterns of complaints, all of which she said made it easier for one physician to exploit patients over many years.

Robert Hadden was convicted in federal court in 2023 and is serving a twenty‑year sentence; earlier, in 2016, he had agreed to a state plea that stripped his license but did not produce jail time. Investigative accounts from ProPublica and other outlets have shown that complaints and warning signs were not always acted on, and the newly released findings trace how administrative decisions, record delays, and reporting barriers intersected with clinical practice to prolong harm.

In response, Columbia and NewYork‑Presbyterian have established a $100 million Survivors Settlement Fund and have reached voluntary settlements with more than 1,000 former patients that total over $1 billion. Dr. Mary D’Alton, who led the obstetrics and gynecology department while Hadden practiced, has announced that she will step down from her leadership role. The New York attorney general has opened a civil review of how the university handled prior complaints, and the institutions have pledged reforms to patient safety, reporting channels, and oversight.

While the report offers a public accounting of institutional failures, many survivors and advocates say the work of restoration and accountability will take time and sustained action; they continue to seek clarity about specific decisions that once allowed abuse to persist.