A group of about 100 people gathered on the University of Michigan campus to demand accountability and transparency in the case of sexual deviant and predator Dr. Robert Anderson ahead of a meeting of the university’s Board of Regents. The demonstration followed the university’s announcement of a finalized policy for responding to sexual abuse allegations. (Thirty years too late.)

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/09/23/doctor-robert-anderson-university-of-michigan-sexual-assault-lawsuits-mediation/8385402002/

“This man was a monster,” said Chuck Christian, one of the men who has accused Anderson of sexual assault. “Enough is enough is enough is enough and Hail to the victims!”

Jonathan Vaughn, another accuser, said they were not there for an apology.

“If we are going to be the leaders and best, if we are truly are going to be victors, we need to eradicate this cancer that is pervasive in the University of Michigan,” said Vaughn. “The only way we can do it is to speak the truth.”

The men and women demanded to speak during the board meeting.

Mediation between the university and about 850 people, mostly men, has been underway since October.

The Detroit News, 9-23-21

Investigators, including those sanctioned by U of M, found that the university missed multiple opportunities to stop Dr. Anderson, who was director of the university health services and team physician for the athletic department over more than three decades. In a story that is getting as tiring as it is enraging, this man was allowed to retire without incident in 2003 and was given the “what a great person” send-off funeral in 2008.

Anderson is accused of giving prolonged hernia checks, unnecessary prostate exams and engaging in masturbation during exams, among other things. But hey, the university apologized and offered counseling to the accusers who include former football players, other university athletes, patients from his medical practice and pilots who saw Anderson for physicals. Sorry we had a creep on staff and blew off those who tried to speak out about him!

The only thing that changes this kind of sick culture, where a doctor can get away with this, accusers are not believed, and the criminal actions never addressed, is a massively huge monetary settlement. The kind that makes the Board of Regents and the university president have to go begging to their big donors/benefactors to refill their coffers. That’s the only way to make them transparent and accountable. Keep a guy like this on staff and it’s gonna cost you. You can address these issues as they happen, or you can pay a lot more later. With interest.

It doesn’t take a U of M business school grad to do the math here.

On Tuesday, Oakland County Judge Jeffrey Matis ruled a man who has spent 15 years in prison for a fire that killed five children was deprived a fair trial and overturned Juwan Deering’s murder and arson convictions.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2021/09/21/convictions-vacated-juwan-deering-royal-oak-township-fire/5805246001/

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald appeared in court Tuesday and spoke to the judge. She said what happened in Deering’s case undermines the community’s faith and trust in the criminal justice system.

“In this case, evidence was withheld,” McDonald said. “There was prosecutorial misconduct.”

Critical evidence was buried in prosecutor and investigator files, she said.

This is a significant. The prosecutor retained a special prosecutor to investigate the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Deering, to avoid any conflict of interest. The prosecutor herself appeared, rather than an underling, and bluntly explained what was reported by the special prosecutor. This included newly discovered evidence concerning the prosecutor’s use of and the credibility of three jailhouse informants who testified against Deering in 2006, and an interview with one of the children who was in the house when the fire started. The interview, conducted during the investigation, was recorded on video shortly after the fire. Only part of the recorded interview was found in the prosecutor’s file; the second half was missing. The second half was missing.

The report further explained that “The jury was materially misled about all three jailhouse informants’ relationships with the (Oakland County Sheriff’s Office) and (Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office), their motives and their credibility.” A little sunshine, a mea culpa and perhaps hope that Karen McDonald is cleaning house. That will be a big, big job. Let’s hope it can continue.

Judge Matis rejected both the prosecutors and defense attorneys’ arguments that Deering should be freed on bond, as well as the prosecutor’s statement that “[g]iven the current lack of evidence, every additional day Mr. Deering spends in prison furthers that injustice [of being denied his constitutional right to a fair trial].” Deering will remain in prison pending the decision by the prosecutor, expected next week, whether or not to retry him.

The judge’s ruling on bond, in the face of both sides arguing in favor of it, does not diminish the significance of a prosecutor acknowledging and accepting responsibility for the misconduct of her predecessors. That is a good sign.