According to the university and attorney Parker Stinar, who represents about 200 of the victims and is one of six attorneys who negotiated the settlement, $460 million will go to the approximately 1,050 survivors, and $30 million will go toward a reserve set aside for additional survivors who come forward. The talks began in October 2020.
According to the university, the $30 million is specifically reserved for claimants who participate in the settlement before July 31, 2023.
“We hope this settlement will begin the healing process for survivors,” University of Michigan Board of Regents Chair Jordan Acker said. The negotiations between the university and the victims’ attorneys started in October 2020.
According to Mr. Stinar, a third-party allocator will decide how the money is divided among the survivors. The majority of the survivors are men. According to Mr. Stinar, the survivors held Anderson and the school accountable.
“Most of our clients had a strong love for the University and did not want to see permanent damage, but wanted accountability. I believe we accomplished those goals,” said Jamie White, an attorney who represents just under 100 of the victims.
“It is time for the Michigan legislators to look at why two of the largest scandals in the history of the country—Larry Nassar and Robert Anderson—happened at Michigan’s two largest universities,” Mr. White added.
From 1968 to 2003, Anderson worked as a team physician in the school's athletic department and as the director of the university's health service. He passed away in 2008.
The University of Michigan's settlement is comparable in size to the $500 million settlement agreed to by its rival, Michigan State University, in 2018 to over 300 victims sexually abused by former MSU sports-medicine doctor Larry Nassar. Nassar is currently serving a 175-year sentence in prison.